Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has granted approval to prosecute renowned author Arundhati Roy and former Central University of Kashmir professor Sheikh Showkat Hussain under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for allegedly making provocative speeches at an event in 2010, Raj Niwas officials announced on Friday.
The First Information Report (FIR) against Roy and Hussain was filed following a court order from the Metropolitan Magistrate of New Delhi. The complaint was initially lodged 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 at Central University of Kashmir, Dr. Sheikh Showkat Hussain, under section 45 (1) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the case,” stated a Raj Niwas official. Last October, Saxena had already granted sanction to prosecute them under section 196 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) for offenses punishable under different sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC): 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief).
Roy and Hussain are accused of making inflammatory remarks at a conference titled ‘Azadi – The Only Way’ held on October 21, 2010, at the LTG Auditorium on Copernicus Marg, New Delhi. “The issues discussed and spoken about at the conference propagated the separation of Kashmir from India,” the official explained.
The event featured speeches from various figures, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, SAR Geelani (the anchor of the conference and prime accused in the Parliament attack case), Arundhati Roy, Dr. Sheikh Showkat Hussain, and Varavara Rao.
Following the complaint, which was filed under Section 156(3) of the CrPC, the Metropolitan Magistrate Court, New Delhi, directed the registration of an FIR on November 27, 2010. Consequently, an FIR was registered, and an investigation ensued.