Eyewitnesses Identify Yasin Malik as Principal Shooter in 1990 Air Force Personnel Killings Case

New Delhi:

Former Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) separatist leader Yasin Malik has encountered a major setback in the case of the 1990 killings of four Air Force officials. During proceedings at a Jammu TADA court, two critical eyewitnesses testified and identified Malik as the principal shooter in the attack that claimed the lives of four Air Force personnel, including Squadron Leader Ravi Khanna, while leaving 22 others wounded.

One eyewitness, during cross-examination conducted by Malik himself, remarked, "Except for your style of beard, you haven't changed much, and I have no difficulty recognising you as the main shooter."

The primary witness also identified three additional accused individuals - Showkat Bakshi, Nanna Ji, and Javed Ahmad - as participants in the Sannat Nagar shootout.

While recounting the terrifying incident to the court, the witness stated that Nanna Ji had aimed an AK rifle at him, prepared to fire. "He wanted to spray bullets, but I changed my position and saved myself," the witness testified.

The witness detailed the chaotic aftermath, explaining how they managed to transport an injured official to the hospital. "It was only the next day that we learnt four of the injured officials had succumbed to their injuries," he added, emphasizing the traumatic consequences of the attack.

Malik, currently serving a life sentence in Delhi's Tihar Jail for a terror funding case, participated in the court proceedings via video conferencing.

The court has permitted cross-examination of the primary witnesses. CBI's Special Prosecutor SK Bhat attended the hearing.

The next court session is scheduled for November 29.

This case, which is now being expedited, has provided some measure of closure to the victims' families after 35 years.

The prosecution team, led by SK Bhat, has presented compelling evidence against Malik and the other accused individuals.

(With inputs from Pradeep Dutta)