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Jammu and Kashmir court declares 23 took part in ‘terrorist activities’ – JURIST

The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) Special Court in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir declared 23 people operating in Pakistan to be “proclaimed offenders” on Monday for allegedly engaging in “terrorist activities.”Those accused will now have a 30-day window to appear before the UAPA Special Court in Doda. Declaring these individuals to be “proclaimed offenders” grants authorities the ability to seize their properties and assets within Indian jurisdiction under section 83 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The proclamation also enables legal proceedings against them in absentia, allowing Indian courts to proceed with potential trials and sentencing even if the individuals remain outside the country.Recently, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) invoked the UAPA to issue a five-year ban on the Masarat Alam faction of the Jammu and Kashmir Muslim League (MLJK-MA). The MHA has alleged that the MLK-MA and its members are actively participating in “anti-national and secessionist activities” within Jammu and Kashmir. The MHA has also imposed a five-year ban on the separatist party Tehreek-e-Hurriayt (TeH) Jammu and Kashmir, designating it as an “unlawful association” under UAPA. The MHA justified this action by citing TeH’s alleged involvement in “fomenting terrorism” and disseminating “anti-India propaganda” in the region of Jammu and Kashmir.Tensions in Jammu and Kashmir have increased following a recent judgment by the Indian Supreme Court upholding the government’s 2019 decision to revoke the special status accorded to the state of Jammu & Kashmir under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.