Delhi LG grants prosecution sanction against Arundhati Roy, Showkat Hussain under UAPA
VK Saxena, Delhi's Lt Governor, on Friday granted approval to prosecute author Arundhati Roy and former Central University of Kashmir professor Sheikh Showkat Hussain under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
FollowVK Saxena, Delhi's Lt Governor, on Friday granted approval to prosecute author Arundhati Roy and former Central University of Kashmir professor Sheikh Showkat Hussain under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. This action stems from allegations of delivering provocative speeches at an event in 2010, as confirmed by officials from Raj Niwas on Friday.
The FIR against Roy and Hussain was initiated following directives from the Court of Metropolitan Magistrate in New Delhi. At present, there has been no immediate response from either Roy or Hussain regarding this development.
The complaint leading to the FIR was filed by Sushil Pandit, a social activist from Kashmir, on October 28, 2010.
"Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena has sanctioned the prosecution of Arundhati Roy and former Professor of International Law in Central University of Kashmir, Dr. Sheikh Showkat Hussain, under section 45 (1) of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the case," a Raj Niwas official said on Friday.
Last October, the LG sanctioned the prosecution of Arundhati Roy and Sheikh Showkat Hussain under Section 196 of the Criminal Procedure Code. They are accused of offenses punishable under several 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 505 (statements conducing to public mischief).
The allegations stem from their purported provocative speeches at a conference titled 'Azadi - The Only Way', held on October 21, 2010, at LTG Auditorium, Copernicus Marg.
"The issues discussed and spoken about at the conference propagated the separation of Kashmir from India," said the official.
Several individuals delivered speeches at the conference, among them Syed Ali Shah Geelani, SAR Geelani (who anchored the conference and was a prime accused in the Parliament attack case), Arundhati Roy, Dr. Sheikh Showkat Hussain, and Varavara Rao.
Following this, the complainant filed a complaint under Section 156(3) of the CrPC before the Metropolitan Magistrate Court in New Delhi. The court disposed of the complaint on November 27, 2010, directing the registration of an FIR.
Subsequently, an FIR was filed and an investigation was conducted, according to sources.
