A Delhi court on Tuesday sentenced Kashmiri separatist and Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief Asiya Andrabi to life imprisonment following her conviction in an Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case. Her associates, Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen, have been sentenced to 30 years in prison each in the same case.
Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh announced the verdict on Andrabi after concluding the arguments on the quantum of sentence. Asiya Andrabi, founder of the women’s organisation Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM), was arrested in April 2018. The organisation was subsequently banned under the UAPA.
Earlier on January 14, Andrabi, Fehmeeda and Nasreen were convicted under the offences of UAPA Sections 20 (punishment for being a member of a terrorist gang or terrorist organisation), 38 (offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation) and 39 (supporting a terrorist organisation).
The court also convicted the three under IPC sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 121A (conspiracy to commit offences against the State).
Following her conviction, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had sought life imprisonment for Andrabi, saying she had waged war against India and a stern message was required to be sent that conspiring against the State would invite the harshest penalty.
The NIA said the women, who are well educated, have been part of a deep-rooted conspiracy to wage war against the government. They weren't just involved in the conspiracy but were the main perpetrators, the NIA argued. They used the Dukhtaran-e-Millat to incite insurrection and seek Jammu and Kashmir's secession from India.
The NIA said Andrabi has a long criminal history, with 33 police cases registered against her across Jammu and Kashmir. Her associates Fehmeeda and Nasreen are involved in nine and five cases respectively.
The court convicted them under sections 18 (Punishment for conspiracy) and 38 (Offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). They were found guilty of waging war against the country and promoting secessionist ideology.
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