ANDRABI IN 10 DAY NIA CUSTODY FOR TERROR LINKS

Separatist leader Aasiya Andrabi and two of her woman associates were on Friday handed over to the National Investigating Agency (NIA) for 10 days’ custodial interrogation in connection with a case of waging war against the country. The trio were airlifted from Srinagar on Friday morning and brought to Delhi. The separatists have called for a daylong shutdown in the Valley to protest her arrest.

Amid tight security, Andrabi and her associates were produced in a Patiala House court before District and Sessions judge Poonam Bamba. Due to security reasons, the court proceedings were held in-camera.

The judge allowed the plea of the NIA that Andrabi, who is chief of the banned outfit Dukhtaran-e-Milat, and others were required to be quizzed as investigation has revealed that by their activities in cyber space they “are running a concerted campaign to solicit support” from terrorist entities from Pakistan.

The NIA had sought the custody of Andrabi and her two associates Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen for 15 days. The case was registered against the three women in April this year.

Seeking their custody, the NIA said, “The present investigation has so far revealed that the accused persons are found involved in the conspiracy and acts to severely destabilise the sovereignty and integrity of India.”

“By their activities on cyber space they are running a concerted campaign to solicit support of Pakistani establishment which inter alia includes arranging support from terrorist entities from Pakistan. Their involvement needs further investigation and for this purpose the interrogation of the accused persons has become a necessity,” argued the NIA.

The NIA also pointed out the money trail of Andrabi from Malaysia and Dubai where most her siblings and kids are settled. “Money from abroad was used to create chaos in the troubled Valley, said the NIA, presenting the details of the money trail.

The three women have been arrested for the offences under sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 341 (wrongful restraint), 336 (endangering life of others), 307(attempt to murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of Ranbir Penal Code and under relevant provisions of Prevention of Damage of Public Property Act and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

Andrabi, who was in a prison in Srinagar after the Jammu & Kashmir High Court cancelled her bail last month, was brought here from Kashmir along with her associates. The NIA, on directions of the Union Home Ministry, registered a case against them as well as the organisation, which is banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, in April this year.

According to the FIR, the “Central Government has received information that Aasiya Andrabi and her associates namely Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen are actively running a terrorist organisation named as ‘Dukhtaran-E-Millat’ (DEM) which is proscribed under the First Schedule to the UAPA”.

“They are using various media platforms to spread insurrectionary imputations and hateful speeches that endanger the integrity, security and sovereignty of India. DEM through Aasiya Andrabi openly advocates secession of Jammu & Kashmir from the Union of India and has also called for jehad and use of violence against India,” the FIR alleged.

In her early 50s, Andrabi was active in the Valley for the past 10 years with her fiery speeches against India through video messages and was organising women against the forces. She has solicited help from proscribed terrorist organisations and along with her associates, has entered into a criminal conspiracy to wage war against the Government of India, the FIR alleged.

She was arrested by the Jammu & Kashmir Police in Anantnag in April this year for allegedly planning to organise a large-scale demonstration and stone-pelting in the area. She was not released despite being granted bail by the court and was arrested in a different case.

The NIA also produced her frequent communication details including the analysis of Andrabi’s phone that showed that she was in constant touch with terrorist leaders across the border.

Source: https://www.dailypioneer.com/todays-newspaper/andrabi-in-10-day-nia-custody-for-terror-links.html