New Delhi: Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has sanctioned the prosecution of author and activist Arundhati Roy and former Professor of International Law at the Central University of Kashmir, Dr Sheikh Showkat Hussain, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The case was registered in 2010 and involves allegations of making provocative speeches.
The FIR was filed following a complaint made by Sushil Pandit, a social activist from Kashmir, on October 28, 2010. The speeches in question were made at a conference titled ‘Azadi – The Only Way’ held on October 21, 2010, at LTG Auditorium, Copernicus Marg. The conference allegedly propagated the separation of Kashmir from India.
Last October, the LG granted sanction to prosecute them under section 196 of CrPC for offences punishable under different sections of the Indian Penal Code: 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national-integration) and 505Â (statements conducing to public mischief).
The accused were also charged with public mischief under Section 13 of the UAPA, 1967. The charges include sedition, promoting enmity between different groups, intentional insult to provoke a breach of peace and making assertions prejudicial to national integration.
Among those present at the conference were Arundhati Roy, Syed Ali Shah Geelani (chairman of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat), SAR Geelani (accused in the Parliament attack case) and Maoist sympathiser Varvara Rao. They allegedly propagated that Kashmir was never part of India and was forcibly occupied by the Indian Armed Forces, urging for the independence of Jammu and Kashmir from India.
The Delhi police had sought prosecution sanction under Section 196 CrPC for offences under Sections 153A, 153B, 504, 505 of the IPC and Section 13 of the UAPA, 1967 against Roy and Hussain.
