HC blast: Court allows NIA plea for Malik's handwriting sample

A Delhi court today allowed a plea of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) seeking handwriting sample of Wasim Akram Malik, who is facing trial in the September 2011 Delhi High Court blast case.
During an in-chamber hearing, district judge I S Mehta directed Malik to give his handwriting sample before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gautam Manan, court sources said.
The NIA had sought the sample saying it has recovered some documents from the possession of co-accused Shakir Hussain Sheikh alias Chota Hafiz, who was killed in an encounter with security forces on December 20 last year in Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir, they said.

The agency had told the court that it needs to ascertain whether the recovered documents contain handwriting of Malik or not.
According to NIA, Sheikh, who was named as accused in the charge sheet and was absconding, was killed in an encounter and the judge abated proceedings against him.
Meanwhile, the court listed for hearing on March 12 the matter related to framing of additional charge of waging war against India against Malik for his alleged role in the September 7, 2011 terror attack at the court's reception in which 15 people were killed and 79 injured.
The trial judge had earlier declined the NIA's plea to prosecute Malik under the stringent charge which entails maximum punishment of death penalty, but the high court had ruled otherwise.

The Delhi High Court had passed an order on December 3 last year ordering the trial court to frame charges of waging war against the country against Malik, who is currently in jail under judicial custody.