Author Arundhati Roy's prosecution sanctioned II VYGR

June 14: Lieutenant Governor (LG) V.K. Saxena granted a sanction to prosecute the novelist Arundhati Roy under the stringent Unlawful Activities and (Prevention) Act for allegedly making a "provocative" speech at the LTG Auditorium, News Delhi, on 21st October 2010. Saxena also approved the prosecution of former Central University of Kashmir lecturer Sheikh Showkat Hussain.

The FIR was filed in 2010 in response to a complaint filed by a social activist from Kashmir, Sushil Pandit and orders issued by the Court of Metropolitan Magistrate, New Delhi. Both Roy and Hussain were accused of delivering provocative speeches at a conference organized under the banner of ‘Azadi-The Only Way Ahead’.

The National Conference and People's Democratic Party have condemned the prosecution sanction. Mehbooba Mufti, the PDP chief and former chief minister of the former state of J-K, described the sanction as "shocking".

"The use of anti-terror laws to suppress dissent and criminalize speech is deeply concerning," said the National Conference

In October 2023, the Lieutenant Governor granted permission under Section 196 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to prosecute the accused for fostering a sense of animosity between different communities and making statements that caused public harm. Syed Ali Shah Geelani, SAR Geelani, who also served as the conference's anchor person, also presented a speech during the event. This permission was granted 14 long years after the alleged speech took place.

Inputs: Agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies