New Delhi: Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Friday granted sanction to prosecute eminent author Arundhati Roy under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for an alleged ‘provocative’ speech at an event in 2010, PTI reported quoting Raj Niwas officials.
“Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena has sanctioned the prosecution of Arundhati Roy and former Professor of International Law in Central University of Kashmir, Dr Sheikh Showkat Hussain, under section 45 (1) of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the case,” a Raj Niwas official said.
In October 2023, Lt Gov Saxena had granted sanction to prosecute Roy and former Central University of Kashmir professor Showkat Hussain under section 196 of CrPC for commission of offences punishable under different sections of Indian Penal Code.
“The issues discussed and spoken about at the conference propagated the separation of Kashmir from India,” Raj Niwas official said.
Sushil Pandit, an activist from Kashmir, had filed a complaint in 2010 under Section 156(3) of CrPC before the Metropolitan Magistrate Court, New Delhi.
It was alleged that Booker Prize winner Arundhati strongly propagated that Kashmir was never part of India and forcibly occupied by the Armed Forces of India and every possible effort should be made for the independence of J & K from India. The complainant provided recordings of the ‘provocative’ speech.
The magistrate’s court, however, disposed of the complaint on November 27, 2010 with the directions to register an FIR.
An FIR was registered and an investigation carried out.
Besides Arundhati and Showkat, others who made speeches included late Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, SAR Geelani (anchor of the Conference and prime accused in the Parliament attack case) and Varavara Rao.
Arundhati has been a vocal critic of the Narendra Modi government, having come out hard against it on several issues.
