The Delhi High Court on Wednesday granted bail to Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez in a terror-funding case investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
The Division Bench of Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Ravinder Dudeja ordered Parvez’s release on certain conditions, while allowing his application that challenged a trial court order dated December 17, 2024, which rejected his regular bail plea. A detailed order is awaited.
Parvez was arrested by the NIA from Srinagar on November 22, 2021, over his alleged involvement in terror activities. After a series of police custody remands, he was sent to judicial custody on February 25, 2022. By the time the appeal was filed on December 19, 2024, he had remained in custody for more than three years.
The case forms part of a larger NIA investigation concerning alleged terror-funding activities and an alleged conspiracy linked to the banned terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). According to the prosecution, a network associated with the outfit was engaged in recruiting Over Ground Workers (OGWs), collecting intelligence regarding security establishments and facilitating the flow of funds for terrorist activities.
Although Parvez was not named in the original FIR, he was subsequently arrested during the investigation and later chargesheeted. The NIA alleged that he was involved in recruiting OGWs for LeT, gathering information relating to the movement and organisational structure of the Indian Army, maintaining links with Pakistan-based terrorist organisations and instigating protests following the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani in 2016.
Parvez argued before the High Court that the NIA’s case was unsupported by credible evidence and that he was a factual stranger to the larger conspiracy alleged by the investigating agency. He further contended that there was no digital evidence establishing any communication between him and members of any proscribed terrorist organisation.
It was further argued that the investigating agency had failed to collect any call detail records supporting the allegation of a meeting between Parvez and co-accused Muneer Ahmad Kataria. The defence also submitted that there was no material showing that Parvez had transmitted sensitive military information to any terrorist operative or organisation.
Additionally, Parvez contended that the prosecution had failed to establish any connection between him and the alleged terror-funding network. According to the appeal, there was no evidence linking him to any financial transaction, money trail or funding activity that could support the allegations under the UAPA.
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