Asiya Andrabi, two aides sent to 10 days NIA custody (Second Lead)

New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) Asiya Andrabi, chief of the Kashmiri women’s separatist group “Dukhtaran-e-Milat” (Daughters of the Faith), and two of her associates were sent to 10 days National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody on Friday for allegedly advocating secession of Jammu and Kashmir and making hateful speeches advocating violence.

After Andrabi, Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen were presented before a Special NIA Judge Poonam Bamba in connection with a sedition case filed against them, the court allowed the agency to quiz the three accused till July 16.

In a statement, the NIA said the accused had been using various media platforms to spread insurrectionary imputations and hateful speeches advocating use of violence against India and secession of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Asiya Andrabi and her associates have written and spoken words and published visible representations that excite disaffection towards the government of India and promote enmity, hatred and ill-will between different communities on the grounds of religion,” the NIA said.

It added that Andrabi had also solicited help from other banned terrorist organisations to wage war against India and that along with her associates, she had been “continuously indulging in acts that are prejudicial to maintenance of harmony and sovereignty and integrity of India”.

Andrabi and her two associates, who were in Srinagar Central Jail, were flown to Delhi by a team of NIA officers, police sources said.

Seeking custody of the three, the NIA told the court that their custodial interrogation was required to unearth the larger conspiracy as they had made several calls to terrorists and over ground workers active in Kashmir Valley.

The agency also told the court that during the course of investigation, several mobiles numbers, used by the members and associates of “Dukhtaran-e-Millat”, were collected and further analysed.

During analysis, it was found that they are in regular contact with their associates in Pakistan and are involved in anti-India activities, NIA informed the court.

“The present investigation has so far revealed that the accused persons, namely Asiya Andrabi, Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen, are found involved in conspiracy and acts to severely destabilise the sovereignty and integrity of India,” the agency said.

“By their activities on cyberspace, they are running a concerted campaign to solicit support of Pakistani establishment which inter-alia includes arranging support from terrorist entities in Pakistan,” the agency added.

Defence counsel Satish Tamta has opposed NIA’s plea seeking custody of the accused.

NIA has alleged that Andrabi and her associates are actively running terrorist organization “Dukhtaran-E-Millat”.

The agency has booked them under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

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