New Delhi: A special court in Delhi on Wednesday convicted Kashmiri separatist Asiya Andrabi and two associates for offences including conspiracy to wage war against the country and membership of a terrorist organisation under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Andrabi, founder of the all-women separatist group Dukhtaraan-e-Millat (DeM) in 1987, was arrested in April 2018. She was charged under UAPA for allegedly conspiring to commit terrorist acts, being a member of a banned organisation, and supporting such groups.
The case against Andrabi and her associates, Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen, was heard by Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh, acting as a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) judge. On Wednesday, the court found them guilty under UAPA sections 18 (punishment for conspiracy) and 38 (offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation).
In addition, the trio was convicted under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 153B (assertions prejudicial to national integration), 121A (conspiracy to wage war against the Government of India), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief).
The accused were present in a packed courtroom amid tight security for the pronouncement of the verdict. The court has scheduled the hearing on the quantum of sentence for January 17. Convictions under UAPA could result in life imprisonment.
Andrabi and her associates were formally charged in February 2021 with multiple offences under UAPA and IPC. They were alleged to have plotted to wage war against India and conspired to carry out terror-related activities.
The NIA registered a case against them and the DeM in April 2018, following directions from the Union Home Ministry. The FIR stated that the group, banned under the First Schedule of the UAPA, was “actively running a terrorist organisation” under Andrabi’s leadership.
The FIR alleged that Andrabi and her associates used media platforms to spread insurrectionary messages and hateful speeches endangering India’s integrity, security, and sovereignty. The group openly advocated the secession of Jammu and Kashmir, called for Jihad, and promoted violence against India.
According to the FIR, Andrabi and her associates published materials intended to incite hatred and disaffection towards the Government of India. The organisation was found promoting enmity, hatred, and ill-will between communities on religious grounds, performing acts prejudicial to harmony.
The agency further stated that Andrabi solicited help from proscribed terrorist groups and, along with her associates, entered into a criminal conspiracy to wage war against the Indian government.
Andrabi was initially arrested by Jammu and Kashmir police in Anantnag in April 2018 for allegedly planning large-scale demonstrations and stone-pelting incidents in the region and was subsequently sent to jail.
With PTI inputs