A Delhi court has sentenced Kashmiri separatist leader Asiya Andrabi to life imprisonment for involvement in terrorist activities and waging war against the Government of India. Her associates Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen received 30-year jail terms. The court emphasized that their actions aimed at the secession of Jammu and Kashmir posed a threat to India’s integrity.
The court highlighted that the convicted individuals did not denounce violence and, in fact, indirectly encouraged it by glorifying militants and advocating separatist ideologies. It noted that such actions could influence the youth to resort to violence by spreading misinformation about Kashmir’s status within India. The case stemmed from a 2018 investigation by the National Investigation Agency, revealing the banned outfit Dukhtaran-e-Millat’s efforts, led by Andrabi, to promote Kashmir’s merger with Pakistan through various means.
Andrabi was found guilty under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and other relevant sections for her involvement in terrorist activities and membership in a terrorist organization. Fehmeeda and Nasreen were also convicted under similar provisions of the law. The court, considering the seriousness of the offenses, emphasized the need for strict punishment to deter activities aimed at destabilizing the nation and propagating separatist ideologies.
Andrabi, who established the all-women separatist group in 1987, was apprehended in April 2018. Following her arrest, the organization’s activities significantly diminished, as noted by the court.
