Court takes cognisance of charge sheet against Kashmiri separatist Aasiya Andrabi, 2 others

A Delhi court has taken cognisance of a charge sheet filed against pro-Pakistani separatist and Dukhtaran-e-Millat head Aasiya Andrabi and two of her associates for allegedly "waging war" against the country by spreading hate speeches using Internet platforms and collecting funds for terror activities.

Special Judge Poonam Bamba also issued production warrants for Andrabi, Sofi Fehmeeda and Naheeda Nasreen, who are lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody.

The court directed the jail authorities to produce the three accused before it on December 12, when they will be handed over a copy of the charge sheet and annexed documents.

The three were arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir police in April and the case was later transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in July.

According to the NIA, Andrabi, Fehmeeda and Nasreen were using various social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube and TV channels including some in Pakistan to spread "insurrectionary imputations and hateful messages and speeches against India".

It had said the Dukhtaran-E-Millat, a banned terrorist organisation, through Andrabi and others openly advocates secession of Jammu and Kashmir from the Union of India and its merger with Pakistan through violent means.

The agency had said the organisation was engaged in anti-India activities and has been inciting the general populace of Kashmir for an armed rebellion against the Government of India with aid and assistance of terrorist organizations based in Pakistan.

The NIA had said the investigation has established that Andrabi, as the chief of Dukhtaran-E-Millat, used social media and other platforms to abet waging of war against the Government of India.

"She is spreading seditious and insurrectionary imputations against the Government of India. She is promoting ill-will and enmity between different communities in India on religious grounds.

"Investigation has also established that she has close contacts with designated global terrorist Hafeez Mohammad Saeed who is the head of Jamaat-ud-Dawah and Lashkar-e-Taiba, internationally designated terrorist organizations that are based in Pakistan," it had alleged.

The NIA had levelled similar charges against Fehmeeda, personal secretary to Andrabi, and Dukhtaran-E-Millat's general secretary Nasreen.

They have collected funds to carry out terrorist activities of Dukhtaran-E-Millat and have used public platforms to incite Kashmiri youths to rise in armed rebellion against the government with the objective of securing cessation of Kashmir from India and its merger with Pakistan, it had alleged.