The seven accused were also charged with criminal conspiracy, murder attempt and under provisions of TADA and the Arms Act. (Representational Image)

An NIA court in Jammu on Saturday charged Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik and six others in the killing of four Indian Air Force officers in Kashmir in 1990. The court said there were sufficient grounds to draw the presumption that the accused have committed the offence. The other accused are Ali Mohammad Mir, Manzoor Ahmed Sofi alias Mustafa, Javed Ahmed Mir alias Nalka, Nanaji alias Saleem, Javed Ahmed Zargar and Showkat Ahmed Bakshi.

The seven accused were also charged with criminal conspiracy, murder attempt and under provisions of TADA and the Arms Act.

Referring to the CBI chargesheet, including documentary and oral evidence, Special NIA Judge Subhash Gupta observed that “on mild sifting and evaluating the confessional statements of the accused” recorded under Section 164 of CrPC and Section 15 of TADA, “it can safely be considered as incriminating material against all the accused as they have divulged about the hatching of criminal conspiracy punishable under Section 120-B of Ranbir Penal Code and they further confessed that in furtherance of which, crime was committed by them in the present matter”.

The judge has also directed the jail superintendents to produce both the accused—Yasin Malik and Showkat Ahmed Bakshi—through video conference on March 16. Nanaji alias Saleem and Javed Ahmed Mir were granted exemption from personal appearance on Saturday.

The JKLF leader is under trial for the alleged killing of four IAF personnel in January 1990 and for kidnapping Rubaiyya Sayeed, the daughter of former state home minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.