New Delhi: Lieutenant governor of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena, has sanctioned the prosecution of author-activist Arundhati Roy and Sheikh Showkat Hussain, a former professor at the Central University of Kashmir, under Section 45 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with a 2010 first information report (FIR). Roy and Hussian are accused of “delivering provocative speeches in public”.
While the Delhi Police had earlier sought prosecution sanction under Sections 153A, 153B, 504, 505 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 13 of the UAPA against Roy and Hussain, the L-G had in October last year granted sanctions only for the IPC sections. This time around he granted prosecution sanction under UAPA sections as well.
“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, according to the Hindustan Times.
The official went on to say that “the issues discussed and spoken about at the conference propagated the separation of Kashmir from India”.
The 2010 FIR was filed based on a complaint registered by a social activist Sushil Pandit. The complainant alleged that Roy and Hussain made provocative speeches at a conference organised under the banner of “Azadi – The Only Way” in October 2010 at LTG Auditorium, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi.
According to the complainant, Roy and Hussain strongly propagated that Kashmir was never part of India and was forcibly occupied by the Indian armed forces and every possible effort should be made for the independence of the J&K from India. The complainant is also said to have submitted the recordings of their speeches at the event, which was also attended by late Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, SAR Geelani and Varavara Rao. SAR Geelani served as an anchor of the conference and a prime accused in the parliament attack case.
