New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday asked Tihar jail authorities to provide necessary medical treatment to separatist leader Yasin Malik, who was awarded life sentence in a terror case, and is reportedly on a hunger strike.

Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta while issuing notice to the Centre, Delhi government and Tihar Jail authorities on a plea seeking his medical care, also sought a health status report.

Malik’s counsel said his client was on hunger strike since November 1 and required an urgent hospital admission.

“Issue notice. Let medical status report of the petitioner be called from the jail superintendent. Further, keeping in perspective the submissions made by the counsel for the petitioner, superintendent jail is directed to ensure that necessary medical treatment is provided to the petitioner in accordance with the jail rules,” the court ordered.

Malik was awarded life-term imprisonment by a Delhi trial court on May 24, 2022, after it held him guilty of various offences under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the IPC.

The National Investigation Agency has filed an appeal in the high court seeking enhancement of his life term sentence to the maximum punishment of death penalty.

In his plea before the high court, Malik claimed to be a patient of “serious cardiac and kidney ailments”, currently facing a “life and death situation”.

“There had been occasions when the petitioner was seriously ill or his presence was mandatorily required before the trial court, but in the garb of (Section) 268 of CrPC orders (restricting Malik to Tihar Jail and Delhi), he was neither taken to the hospital nor produced in courts,” it claimed.

The plea further claimed as Malik was a political figure, the authorities had declined his requests of a proper health investigation.

“Aggrieved from the malafide and negligent acts of the respondents, the petitioner has been suffering rash, irregular treatment and weight loss and every organ of the petitioner has been vulnerable,” the plea said.

A similar plea seeking medical treatment was moved by Malik earlier which the court disposed of in light of the his examination by doctors at AIIMS and necessary medical care extended to him.

The matter would be heard on November 11.