Delhi court to decide on sentencing procedure in Aasiya Andrabi terror case

NEW DELHI: The Karkardooma court in the national capital has reserved its order on the procedure as to how to proceed to hear arguments on the sentence to be awarded to Kashmiri separatist Aasiya Andrabi and her two associates in a terror conspiracy case. The court will pass an order on February 17.

Andrabi is the alleged chief of the women’s terror outfit, namely Dukhtaran-e-Millat. On February 2, A Special NIA judge at Patiala House transferred the case of Aasiya Andrabi to the predecessor judge who passed the judgement of conviction.

Special NIA judge Prashant Sharma transferred the matter and listed it before the predecessor judge Chanderjit Singh at Karkardooma Court. Earlier, Singh was a special NIA judge at Patiala House Court.

Andrabi and two of her associates were convicted by ASJ Chander Jit Singh on January 14, 2026. Thereafter, the file was sent to the Patiala House Court. While transferring the file back to Karkardooma Court, the special judge, Prashant Sharma, said that arguements on sentence should be heard and a judgement delivered. Both are part of the same procedure.

Now, ASJ Chander Jit Singh is to decide how to proceed further with the arguements on sentence in the matter, as he is no longer a special NIA judge.

An NIA court at New Delhi on January 14 convicted Kashmiri separatist Aasiya Andrabi and two of her associates, Sofi Fehmida and Nahida Nasreen, in a terror case lodged by the NIA.

For us people are either Muslims or ‘kaafirs’ & a Muslim’s country is Pakistan. Pakistan was not formed on basis of a nationality, Islam is the basis of its foundation: Asiya Andrabi (center) on Pakistan National Day in #JammuAndKashmir‘s Srinagar. pic.twitter.com/7znjj2MAQ0

— ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2018

Andrabi was arrested in 2018. The NIA had invoked against her section of the war against the State, etc., promoting enmity between communities, and terror Conspiracy under UAPA. The case was heard at Patiala House Court by ASJ Singh and judgement was reserved. Thereafter, he was transferred to Karkardooma Court.

On December 21, 2020, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Monday ordered framing of charges against Kashmiri separatist Asiya Andrabi and her two associates for allegedly waging war against India, sedition and conspiracy to commit terror acts in the country.

ASJ Parveen Singh had ordered framing of charges against Andrabi, founder of Dukhtaran-e-Milat (DEM), and her two associates — Sofi Fahmeeda and Naheeda Nasreen, arrested for allegedly waging war against India, sedition and conspiracy to commit terror acts in the country.

The court had ordered the framing of charges against them under Sections 120B, 121, 121A, 124A, 153B, and 505 of the Indian Penal Code, along with other provisions of the IPC and relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Andrabi is a Kashmiri and the founding leader of Dukhtaran-e-Millat. This group is allegedly part of the separatist organisation ‘All Parties Hurriyat Conference’ in the Kashmir valley, and the Government of India has declared it as a “banned terrorist organisation”.

DEM, a banned outfit under the First Schedule to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, was allegedly involved in anti-India activities by inciting the general populace of Kashmir for an armed rebellion against the Government of India with aid and assistance from various terrorist organisations based in Pakistan.

According to the NIA chargesheet, Asiya and two other accused were allegedly using various media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and TV channels, including channels in Pakistan, to spread “insurrectionary imputations and hateful messages and speeches against India”. (ANI)