Asiya Andrabi, two aides sent to 10 days NIA custody
New Delhi, July 6: Asiya Andrabi, chief of the Kashmiri women's separatist group "Dukhtaran-e-Millat" (Daughters of Faith), and two of her associates were sent to 10 day National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody on Friday.
After Andrabi,Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen were presented before a Special NIA Judge Poonam Bamba in connection with a sedition case filed against them, the court allowed the agency to quiz the three accused till July 16.
Andrabi and her two associates, who were in Srinagar Central Jail, were flown to Delhi by a team of NIA officers, police sources said.
Seeking custody of the three, the NIA told the court that their custodial interrogation was required to unearth the larger conspiracy as they had made several calls to terrorists and over ground workers active in Kashmir Valley.
The agency also told the court that during the course of investigation, several mobiles numbers, used by the members and associates of "Dukhtaran-e-Millat", were collected and further analysed.
During analysis, it was found that they are in regular contact with their associates in Pakistan and are involved in anti-India activities, NIA informed the court.
"The present investigation has so far revealed that the accused persons, namely Asiya Andrabi, Sofi Fehmeeda and Nahida Nasreen, are found involved in conspiracy and acts to severely destabilise the sovereignty and integrity of India," the agency said.
"By their activities on cyberspace, they are running a concerted campaign to solicit support of Pakistani establishment which inter-alia includes arranging support from terrorist entities in Pakistan," the agency added.
Defence counsel Satish Tamta has opposed NIA's plea seeking custody of the accused.
NIA has alleged that Andrabi and her associates are actively running terrorist organization "Dukhtaran-E-Millat" and using various media platforms to spread insurrectionary imputations and hateful speeches that endanger the integrity, security and sovereignty.
The accused are promoting enmity and hatred between different communities and have entered into a criminal conspiracy to wage war against the government of India, it said.
The agency has booked them under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
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Integrity of electoral process severely compromised, Cong to soon launch movement: CWC
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress Working Committee met here on Friday and adopted a resolution alleging the integrity of the entire electoral process was being severely compromised against which the party would soon launch a movement.
In the resolution of the top body of the Congress, the party said free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that was being called into "serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission".
The CWC, which met amid the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, said the session has been a washout so far because of the Narendra Modi government's "stubborn refusal" to have an immediate discussion on three pressing national issues -- "the recent revelations regarding corruption by a business group, and the violence in Manipur and Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal".
Asked why the Congress Working Committee (CWC) resolution does not name the business group, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, "The answer is the Adani group".
"The CWC believes the integrity of the entire electoral process is being severely compromised. Free and fair elections is a Constitutional mandate that is being called into serious question by the partisan functioning of the Election Commission.
"Increasing sections of society are becoming frustrated and deeply apprehensive. The Congress will take these up these public concerns as a national movement," the resolution stated.
Addressing a joint press conference along with Ramesh and Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, party general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal said the party discussed the political situation in the country for four-and-half hours and adopted the resolution.
He said the CWC has decided to constitute internal committees to look into electoral performance and organisational matters.
About the Assembly polls results in Maharashtra, Venugopal said the electoral outcome in the state was "beyond normal understanding and it appears to be a clear case of targeted manipulation".
