Srinagar:
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has raised objections to the plea submitted by Waheed Ur Rehman Para, a prominent leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeking permission to travel to New Delhi, according to a report by The Indian Express.
Para, who serves as the leader of the PDP Youth wing, has expressed the need to visit his nephew at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. However, the NIA contends that allowing Para to travel may lead to a misuse of liberty, suggesting he might not return to face legal proceedings.
The PDP leader’s bail conditions prohibit him from leaving Jammu and Kashmir without prior authorization. In response to Para’s application, the NIA filed an objection before the court, asserting that the petition is “not maintainable” and should be dismissed, citing concerns about his potential evasion of legal proceedings.
“The present petition… is not maintainable and needs to be dismissed as the intention of the applicant/accused is to flee from the clutches of law,” stated the NIA. The agency expressed a strong apprehension that Para could misuse the granted liberty and evade legal obligations related to the previously filed charge sheet.
In its objection, the NIA argued, “Additionally, the well-being of the nephew can be adequately addressed by his parents or other immediate family members.”
Furthermore, the agency emphasized that the repeated requests for travel outside Jammu and Kashmir may be interpreted as a “calculated strategy to evade justice.” This statement suggests a pattern in Para’s travel requests that, according to the NIA, raises suspicions of attempting to circumvent legal proceedings.
Waheed Para, over the past two years, has made multiple appeals for travel, including requests to visit Mumbai to accompany his father, who is undergoing cancer treatment at the Tata Institute. Para has sought the intervention of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Jammu and Kashmir’s Director General of Police R R Swain through written appeals. The matter remains pending before the appropriate authorities.