The Delhi High Court has sought the stand of India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) on appeals filed by Kashmiri political leader Aasiya Andrabi and her two associates challenging their unlawful sentences under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Vikas Mahajan condoned the delay in filing the appeals against the special NIA court verdict and said it would issue notice to the investigating agency.

The court gave time till September 15 to the NIA to reply to their pleas seeking suspension of sentence and listed the matter for hearing on October 6. Andrabi, 62, founder of Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM), along with her close aides Nahida Nasreen, 58, and Sofi Fehmeeda, 48, were sentenced by the special NIA court on January 14. The trial court said the trio had orchestrated what it called a “systematic campaign to destabilise” India and IIOJK. On March 24, the trial court awarded life imprisonment to Andrabi, while Fehmeeda and Nasreen were sentenced to 30 years in prison.

The three were formally charged in February 2021 under multiple sections of UAPA and the Indian Penal Code. The NIA had alleged that they plotted to wage war against India. The NIA registered the case against Andrabi and her associates in April 2018 on directions of the Indian Home Ministry. The agency alleged that DeM was using media platforms to spread “hateful speeches” and was openly advocating freedom of Jammu and Kashmir. Andrabi was arrested by Indian police in Islamabad town in April 2018 and has remained in detention since then.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)