Author Arundhati Roy set to be tried under anti-terror law for Kashmir comments

India's Delhi lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Friday granted sanction to prosecute author Arundhati Roy under the stringent anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), for her alleged "provocative" speech at an event in 2010, PTI quoted Raj Niwas officials on Friday. 

"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.

Last October, Saxena had granted sanction to prosecute Roy and former Central University of Kashmir professor Sheikh Showkat Hussain under section 196 of CrPC for commission of offences punishable under different sections of the Indian Penal Code. 

"The issues discussed and spoken about at the conference propagated the separation of Kashmir from India," the Raj Niwas official said.

Besides Roy and Sheikh Showkat Hussain, the 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.

The complainant Sushil Pandit, an activist from Kashmir, had filed a complaint under Section 156(3) of CrPC before the Metropolitan Magistrate Court, New Delhi, who disposed of the complaint on November 27, 2010 with the directions to register an FIR.

It was alleged that Geelani and Arundhati Roy strongly propagated that Kashmir was never part of India and was forcibly occupied by the Armed Forces of India and every possible effort should be made for the independence of the J-K from India and recordings of the same were provided by the complainant.

Accordingly, an FIR was registered and an investigation was carried out, the officials added.

Roy has been a vocal critic of the Modi government and has criticised it on several issues.