SRINAGAR: The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Tihar jail superintendent to produce the banned Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front leader, Muhammad Yasin Malik, via video conferencing only and not in person on August 9, when the appeal moved by NIA seeking the death penalty for him is listed for hearing.

Separatist leader Muhammad Yaseen Malik in currently serving life imprisonment for the alleged role in militant financing in Jammu and Kashmir. 

A division bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Anish Dayal allowed an urgent application moved by Tihar jail authorities to produce Malik through video conferencing.

The court modified its earlier order passed on May 29 issuing production warrants against Malik for August 09.h

The jail authorities had moved the application citing heavy security issues” in producing Malik physically in court.

The Tihar jail authorities, in the application, submitted that Malik has been lodged under the category of very high-risk prisoners and thus, it is imperative that he is not physically produced in order to maintain public order and safety.

Malik was sentenced to life imprisonment by a special NIA court in May last year. He had pleaded guilty in the case and did not contest the charges against him.