The Delhi High Court has granted bail to Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez in a terror conspiracy case investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Parvez, who has been in custody since November 2021, was accused by the NIA of involvement in a conspiracy linked to the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
A Division Bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja set aside a previous order rejecting Parvez’s bail plea and directed his release on stringent conditions. The court noted that Parvez had already spent almost four-and-a-half years in incarceration, with the trial still in the stage of arguments on charge.
Referring to Parvez’s physical infirmity due to a past landmine blast, the court balanced his right to personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution against the restrictions in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The prosecution’s case against Parvez was primarily based on the statement of a co-accused, Muneer Ahmad Kataria, who later turned approver.
The Delhi High Court, without expressing any opinion on the case’s merits, directed Parvez to furnish a personal bond, surrender his passport, stay in Delhi unless permitted otherwise, report to the investigating officer periodically, and refrain from influencing witnesses or commenting publicly on the case. Parvez is also prohibited from uploading or circulating anti-national material or engaging in activities prejudicial to public order or the trial’s integrity.
