Delhi Police is expected to file a charge sheet next week against author Arundhati Roy and former Central University of Kashmir professor Sheikh Showkat Hussain under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for allegedly delivering provocative speeches in 2010. The speeches in question were made at the ‘Azadi – The Only Way’ conference at LTG Auditorium, Copernicus Marg, on October 21, 2010. This case, originally registered based on a complaint by social activist Sushil Pandit, was filed at the Tilak Marg Police Station following a court order and subsequently transferred to the Delhi Police Crime Branch for further investigation.
The Crime Branch has prepared an extensive charge sheet, reportedly over a thousand pages, supported by video evidence and forensic reports. The evidence includes multiple eyewitness accounts and videos that surfaced on social media. Official sources indicate that the videos have been verified through forensic analysis. Last Friday, Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena granted permission to prosecute Roy and Hussain under Section 45 (1) of the UAPA. Additionally, in October, the Lt Governor had sanctioned their prosecution under Section 196 of the CrPC for offenses under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including promoting enmity and public mischief.
While the FIR initially included Section 124-A (sedition), no action could be taken under this charge due to a Supreme Court ruling in 2022, which put a hold on FIRs, investigations, and coercive measures under the sedition law until the government re-examines it. The charge sheet, therefore, focuses on other IPC sections and UAPA provisions. The case, heavily supported by eyewitness testimonies and forensic evidence, is set to advance following the official procedural sanctions.
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