Delhi Court Sentences Separatist Asiya Andrabi to Life Imprisonment Under UAPA for Conspiring to Commit Anti-India Activities

Key Points:

A Delhi Court delivered a landmark verdict on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, sentencing radical Kashmiri separatist Asiya Andrabi to life imprisonment under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh of the Karkardooma Court in Delhi also sentenced her two close associates, Sofi Fehmeeda and Naheeda Nasreen, to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment.

The three women were convicted under the UAPA and the Indian Penal Code for a range of severe offenses, including conspiring to commit crimes against the state, disrupting India's sovereignty, membership in a terrorist organization, and misguiding local youth to advocate for Kashmir’s secession and merger with Pakistan. The court ordered that all sentences will run concurrently.

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The Prosecution's Case And Digital Evidence

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which arrested Andrabi in April 2018, submitted decisive evidence linking the accused directly and indirectly to anti-India activities. The agency proved that the accused were part of several WhatsApp groups and utilized social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to spread insurrectionary misinformation about the Indian Army and portray security forces as terrorists.

During the trial, the prosecution presented videos and social media posts demonstrating that Andrabi glorified separatist militants, such as Burhan Wani and encouraged insurgent groups like the Hizbul-Mujahideen and actively incited stone-pelting against the army. The NIA also argued that the accused used seditious slogans—such as “Islam ki Nisbat se, Islam ke taluk se, Hum Pakistani hain, Pakistan Humara hai” (By virtue of our Islamic roots, we are Pakistani, Pakistan is ours), to show explicit support for Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.

The NIA further demonstrated that Andrabi received financial and logistical backing from Pakistan-linked terror organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). In its arguments for the maximum penalty, the NIA stressed that Andrabi had effectively engaged in anti-India activities, and that strict punishment was necessary to send a strong deterrent message.

A History Of Separatism: Who Is Asiya Andrabi?

Asiya Andrabi is the founding leader of the banned all-women’s Islamist separatist organization, Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM, Daughters of the Faith), established in 1987. For decades, she has been a highly controversial figure in the Kashmir Valley, consistently rejecting India's sovereignty and advocating for an armed rebellion. Married to Qasim Faktoo, a former Mujahid who has been imprisoned since the early 1990s, Andrabi has a long history of inciting violence and openly supporting militant groups. 

During the protests against Indian Army in Kashmir in 2010, she played a key role along with other separatist leaders such as Syed Ali Shah Geelani in inciting it, and circulating information on when to conduct strikes and marches.

Interrogation reports and intelligence have consistently pointed to her direct communication with designated global terrorists, the ISI, and former high-ranking Pakistani officials to further her secessionist agenda. The NIA also stated that Andrabi had maintained contact with former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Court Rejects Medical Grounds For Leniency

During the hearing on the quantum of the sentence, the defense argued for leniency, citing that the accused were educated women suffering from various medical ailments. However, the Court firmly rejected these arguments.

The Judge observed that factors like education and medical conditions carry weight only in isolated incidents, where a criminal offense is a rare exception in an otherwise law-abiding life. Because the accused were involved in a deep-rooted, sustained conspiracy and multiple anti-India activities over a long period, the Court ruled that granting leniency would only "infuse a fresh lease of life and vigor" into secessionist movements.

A Broader Pattern: Pakistan-Backed Terrorism Against India

This verdict comes against the backdrop of India's decades-long battle against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, a reality New Delhi has consistently exposed at international forums. The ideological and logistical support networks that individuals like Andrabi rely on are not isolated; they are part of a much larger, state-sponsored apparatus. 

For years, the Pakistani state and its intelligence agency, the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), have provided safe havens, financial backing, and tactical support to anti-India terror groups. David Headley, mastermind behind the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks (2008), confirmed to the US and Indian Intelligence that the ISI was intimately involved in the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He testified that ISI officers funded him, trained him in espionage, and helped coordinate the reconnaissance of the targets.

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High-profile terrorists, such as LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) founder Masood Azhar and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, operate freely on Pakistani soil and have frequently been seen collaborating with state officials. This systemic backing is evident in a long, bloody history of major terror attacks orchestrated from across the border, including:

• Chittisinghpura Massacre (2000)

• Indian Parliament Attack (2001)

• Kalluchak Massacre (2002)

• 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attacks (2008)

• Uri Army Base Attack (2016)

• Pulwama Convoy Attack (2019)

• Pahalgam Attack (2025)

While bringing domestic operatives like Andrabi to justice is a crucial victory for India's internal security, ending this prolonged cycle of violence ultimately requires the global community to hold the cross-border sponsors of this terrorism accountable for their crimes against India's sovereignty.

(Rh)

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