Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Friday (June 14), sanctioned the prosecution of author-activist Arundhati Roy and Sheikh Showkat Hussain, a former professor at the Central University of Kashmir, under Section 45 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in a case registered in 2010 over her comments on Kashmir.

Earlier, in Octover last year, when the Delhi Police wanted prosecution sanctions under Sections 153A, 153B, 504, 505 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 13 of the UAPA against Roy and Hussain, the L-G had given sanctions to prosecute Roy under IPC sections only. However, this time he granted prosecution sanction under UAPA sections as well.

"Roy and Hussain had allegedly made provocative speeches at a conference organised under the banner of 'Azadi - The Only Way' on 21.10.2010 at LTG Auditorium, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi. The issues discussed and spoken about at the conference propagated the 'separation of Kashmir from India'," the Governor's office said, quoted India Today.

According to Raj Bhavan officials, an FIR against Roy and Hussain was registered following an order of a Metropolitan Magistrate court in New Delhi, based on a complaint made by Sushil Pandit, a resident of Kashmir, on October 28, 2010.

According to the FIR, Roy and Hussain fervently propagated that Kashmir was never part of India and was forcibly occupied by the Indian armed forces and every possible effort should be made for the independence of the J&K from India.