In a significant verdict in a terror-related case, a Delhi court on Tuesday sentenced Kashmiri separatist leader and Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief Asiya Andrabi to life imprisonment under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The court also awarded 30-year prison terms to her associates, Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen, for their roles in the same case.
The sentencing was pronounced by Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh after detailed arguments on the quantum of punishment. The trio had been convicted earlier on January 14 under multiple stringent provisions of the UAPA, including Sections 20 (membership of a terrorist organisation), 38 (association with a terrorist organisation), and 39 (support to a terrorist organisation).
In addition, the court found them guilty under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 153A (promoting enmity between groups), 153B (acts prejudicial to national integration), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 505 (statements causing public mischief), and 121A (conspiracy to wage war against the State).
During sentencing proceedings, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) pushed for the maximum penalty, arguing that Andrabi’s actions amounted to waging war against India. The agency emphasised that a strong punitive message was necessary to deter anti-national conspiracies and uphold the sovereignty of the State.
Investigative findings presented in court pointed to Andrabi’s alleged extensive network of international and cross-border contacts. According to her interrogation report, she was in regular communication with senior figures in Pakistan, including former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his foreign policy adviser Sartaz Aziz. The report further indicated interactions with officials at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
The probe also uncovered links with designated terrorists such as Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin. Andrabi is said to have engaged with them on matters relating to Kashmir, including urging increased pressure on the Pakistani establishment to escalate the issue at international forums like the United Nations.
The report detailed that Andrabi had expressed dissatisfaction to Pakistani interlocutors over what she perceived as Islamabad’s inadequate engagement on Kashmir. She reportedly maintained sustained communication with these figures over several years, including during personal events such as bereavements.
The case marks a major development in the long-running crackdown on separatist networks accused of facilitating anti-India activities through ideological propagation, funding channels, and cross-border coordination.
