The Crossbill News Desk
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has failed to overturn the bail granted to Jammu and Kashmir human rights activist Khurram Parvez in a case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), with the Supreme Court dismissing its challenge on Friday (October 30), Live Law reported.
A bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and P.B. Varale declined to interfere with the Delhi high court’s July order granting bail to Parvez, taking note of the prolonged period he had spent in custody. The court accordingly disposed of the NIA’s plea challenging his release.
Parvez, programme coordinator of the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) and chairperson of the Asian Federation against Involuntary Disappearances, was arrested from Srinagar on November 22, 2021, in a case involving allegations of terror funding.
The NIA had accused him of having links with the banned terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), recruiting Over Ground Workers (OGWs), collecting intelligence about security installations and facilitating terror funding.
While granting him bail in July, the Delhi high court had cited his incarceration of nearly four-and-a-half years, the slow pace of the trial and his constitutional right to personal liberty under Article 21. The court held that these circumstances warranted his release on bail, Live Law had reported.
During Friday’s proceedings, senior advocate Tanveer Ahmed Mir, representing Parvez, told the Supreme Court that his client had a prosthetic leg and had remained in custody for nearly five years.
He also pointed out that the framing of charges had been delayed after the NIA sought additional time on August 19 to file a supplementary chargesheet.
The Supreme Court’s decision leaves the Delhi high court’s bail order undisturbed, allowing Parvez to remain out of custody while proceedings in the UAPA case continue.
A bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and P.B. Varale declined to interfere with the Delhi high court’s July order granting bail to Parvez, taking note of the prolonged period he had spent in custody. The court accordingly disposed of the NIA’s plea challenging his release.
Parvez, programme coordinator of the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) and chairperson of the Asian Federation against Involuntary Disappearances, was arrested from Srinagar on November 22, 2021, in a case involving allegations of terror funding.
The NIA had accused him of having links with the banned terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), recruiting Over Ground Workers (OGWs), collecting intelligence about security installations and facilitating terror funding.
While granting him bail in July, the Delhi high court had cited his incarceration of nearly four-and-a-half years, the slow pace of the trial and his constitutional right to personal liberty under Article 21. The court held that these circumstances warranted his release on bail, Live Law had reported.
During Friday’s proceedings, senior advocate Tanveer Ahmed Mir, representing Parvez, told the Supreme Court that his client had a prosthetic leg and had remained in custody for nearly five years.
He also pointed out that the framing of charges had been delayed after the NIA sought additional time on August 19 to file a supplementary chargesheet.
The Supreme Court’s decision leaves the Delhi high court’s bail order undisturbed, allowing Parvez to remain out of custody while proceedings in the UAPA case continue.
Comments (0)
Leave a Comment