On 14th January (Wednesday), a Delhi court found Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief and Kashmiri separatist Asiya Andrabi guilty of conspiracy and terror-related charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The case also featured two of her companions, Sofi Fehmida and Nahida Nasreen.
Additional Sessions Judge Chanderjit Singh deemed them culpable under sections 18 (punishment for conspiracy) and 38 (offence connected to membership in a terrorist organisation) of the stringent law. The sentencing will be announced on 17th January (Saturday), according to the court.
Andrabi, Fehmida and Nasreen were accused by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) of using hate speech, promoting enmity between communities, criminal conspiracy and actions criminalised by anti-terror law in order to wage war against the country. The agency revealed that the trio conspired to “severely destabilise the sovereignty and integrity of India.”
It further conveyed that they were conducting a coordinated operation to garner the support of the Pakistani establishment through their cyberspace acts which included gathering assistance from the terrorist entities located inside India’s hostile neighbour. The NIA pointed out that the three publicly supported Jammu and Kashmir’s separation from the Union of India and used various media platforms to disseminate inflammatory remarks that jeopardise the nation’s integrity, security and sovereignty.
According to the prosecution, Andrabi and her accomplices maintained connections with organisations that were prohibited and organised support for separatist movements, both of which constituted violations of the UAPA. The trial court upheld the allegations and directed the conviction after reviewing the available evidence.
In 1987, Andrabi established Dukhtaran e Millat, an all-female separatist group in the valley. As part of a broader campaign against separatist networks in Jammu and Kashmir, she was taken into custody in April 2018 along with the other two. They have been behind bars ever since. Her outfit was also outlawed under the UAPA later.
The conviction came after a protracted trial during which the NIA asserted that Andrabi’s speeches, meetings and organisational efforts were crucial in advancing separatist ideology and perpetuating terror-related actions. After the verdict is rendered, the court will consider sentence arguments later this week before determining the appropriate punishment under the applicable UAPA statutes.
