A National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in New Delhi on Tuesday awarded life sentence to Kashmiri separatist Aasia Andrabi and 30 years in prison to her two associates, Sofi Fehmida and Nahida Nasreen, in a terror case filed by the National Investigation Agency.
Andrabi is the alleged head of the women’s pro-separatist group Dukhtaran-e-Millat.
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Chander Jit Singh awarded the sentence to the three convicts for the various offenses proved against them.
Aasiya Andrabi is sentenced to life imprisonment for the offense of conspiracy to commit terrorism under section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and criminal conspiracy under section 120 B IPC, each sentenced to life imprisonment for the offense of conspiracy to wage war against India under section 121 A IPC, is also to be sentenced to imprisonment for 10 years for members or for members of a terrorist organization under s 38 and for the crime of supporting a terrorist organization under Section 39 of the UAPA.
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She is further sentenced to 5 years imprisonment for the offense of promoting enmity between a group of persons under Section 153 A, for the offense of causing discord between groups of persons on the basis of religion, caste, etc. under Section 153 B and for the offense of uttering statements tending to cause public outrage under Section 505 IPC each.
A fine of Rs. 8 million is deposited for it as well.
The court sentenced Naheeda Nasrin and Sofi Fehmida to 30 years imprisonment for the offense under section 18 UAPA and 120 B IPC, they are further sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the offense 38, 39 UAPA each, further they are sentenced to 4 years imprisonment for the offenses 153A IPC and 153A 153A. each is also sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for an offense under Section 121 A. The court also imposed a fine of ₹7 crores for each convict.
The court found them guilty of the crimes on January 14, 2026.
Andrabi was arrested in 2018.
The NIA filed charges against her under sections relating to waging war against the state, promoting inter-communal enmity and terrorist conspiracy under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The case was heard in the Patiala House Court ASJ Singh and the decision was reserved. He was then taken to Karkardooma Court. Therefore, the Karkardooma court passed the sentence.
On 21 December 2020, a court ordered the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to file charges against Kashmiri separatist Asiya Andrabi and her two associates for allegedly waging war against India, sedition and conspiring to commit acts of terrorism in the country.
ASJ Parveen Singh ordered the framing of charges against Andrabi, the founder of Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DEM), and her two associates – Sofi Fahmeeda and Naheeda Nasreen – for allegedly waging war against India, sedition and conspiring to commit acts of terrorism in the country.
The court ordered them to be charged under Section 120B, Section 121, 121A, Section 124A, Section 153B and Section 505 of the Indian Penal Code and various provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Andrabi is a Kashmiri and the founding leader of Dukhtaran-e-Millat. The group is said to be part of the separatist organization ‘All sides Hurriyat Conference’ in the Kashmir Valley and has been declared a “proscribed terrorist organization” by the Indian government.
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DEM, a banned group under the First Schedule to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, was allegedly involved in anti-India activities by inciting the people of Kashmir into armed rebellion against the Government of India with the help and assistance of various Pakistan-based terrorist organizations.
According to the NIA chargesheet, Asiya and two other accused allegedly used various media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and television channels, including those in Pakistan, to spread “seditious imputations and hate messages and speeches against India”.
