Waheed Parra shifted to Kot Bhalwal Jail in Jammu

SRINAGAR — PDP youth President, who is facing detention in connection with a case under UAPA alleging a “nexus” between unnamed politicians and militant outfits in Kashmir, was shifted from Srinagar Central Jail to Kot Bhalwal Jail in Jammu.

An official said that Waheed Parra, President Youth wing of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was shifted to Kot Bhalwal Jail in Jammu from Central Jail Srinagar this morning.

Parra was detained in November last year, three days after he filed his nomination papers for the District Development Council (DDC) elections, by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with a case against former J&K Police officer Davinder Singh.

According to the NIA, Para, who went on to win the polls, was allegedly in touch with one of the accused. The PDP had denied the charges.

On January 10 this year, a special court granted bail to Waheed Parra in the NIA case, saying that the “offences, particularly falling under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), are not prima facie made out”.

A few hours after his release (on bail), he was arrested and detained by the Counter-Intelligence in Kashmir (CIK) under a different charge related to providing financial support to militant groups. On 11 January 2021, he was formally charged and transferred to Srinagar under the custody of CIK. He appeared before court with a lawyer for a bail hearing. Bail was denied and he remains in remand.

Pertinently, Special Rapporteurs of the United Nations (UN) have sought a response from the Government of India (GoI) on an alleged series of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir, including the arrest of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) youth president Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra and two other men.

However, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) did not respond to a request for a comment, or for confirmation that it has received the letter, which was uploaded on the official website of the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights based in Geneva. Nor did the Jammu Kashmir Police or the National Investigation Agency (NIA), whose officials are accused of human rights abuses, give any comment.