A Delhi court on Tuesday awarded Kashmiri separatist Asiya Andrabi life imprisonment, while two of her associates, Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen, have been sentenced to 30 years in prison each. This comes after her conviction on January 14 under several sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). A Delhi court has sentenced Kashmiri separatist Asiya Andrabi to life imprisonment (HT Photo)
Additional sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh pronounced the verdict after completing arguments on the quantum of sentence.
Andrabi, who founded the all-women separatist group Dukhtaraan-e-Millat (DeM) in 1987, was arrested in April 2018. She was charged under the UAPA for conspiracy to carry out terrorist acts, being a member of a terrorist organisation seeking the secession of Jammu and Kashmir from India, and supporting such groups.
The trio was convicted by the court on January 14, 2026, for several offences under the UAPA and the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including conspiracy to commit terror acts and waging war against the state.
‘Waged war against India’: NIA submitted in court After her conviction, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) sought life imprisonment for Andrabi, saying that she had waged war against India and that a strong message must be sent that plotting against the State would invite the strictest penalty.
"The convicts are well-educated women, and their acts were part of a deep-rooted conspiracy to wage war against the Government of India. They were not just part of the conspiracy but were the main perpetrators," the agency submitted in its written arguments.
What to know about the banned DeM outfit Banned under the First Schedule to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, DeM was allegedly involved in anti-India activities by inciting the general public of Kashmir for an armed uprising against the Indian government with help and aid from Pakistan-based terrorist organisations.
The chargesheet filed by the NIA accused Asiya and her two aides of spreading “insurrectionary imputations and hateful messages and speeches against India” through various social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and TV channels, including channels in Pakistan.
With inputs from agencies