The Delhi High Court has decided not to stay the bail previously granted to Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez and journalist Irfan Mehraj in connection with a 2020 terror funding case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The decision was made by a Division Bench comprising Justices Prathiba M Singh and Vikas Mahajan, who acknowledged the serious nature of the allegations against the accused. However, they concluded that since the trial court had already granted bail with strict conditions, there was no justification for a stay at this stage.
While declining the stay, the High Court imposed additional bail conditions on Parvez and Mehraj. The Bench remarked, “The absence of findings in the trial court order requires consideration of this Court.” It further noted that the precedents cited by the trial court are currently under the High Court’s scrutiny and should not be used as references in other cases.
The case is set for a detailed hearing in August. Initially, Principal District and Sessions Judge Pitamber Dutt of the Patiala House Courts granted bail to both Parvez and Mehraj on July 18 in the 2020 UAPA case. This order was significant as it facilitated Parvez’s release from prison, given that he had already secured bail in a separate case filed in 2021.
Following the trial court’s decision, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) challenged the order before the High Court, leading to notices being issued to both Parvez and Mehraj on July 20. Parvez, a noted Kashmiri human rights advocate and coordinator of the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), has been in NIA custody since November 2021. Although initially detained in a 2021 UAPA terror conspiracy case, he was formally arrested again in March 2023 related to an October 2020 FIR. This FIR alleges that NGOs and trusts in Jammu and Kashmir misused funds meant for charitable activities to support terrorist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM).
The NIA has also accused Parvez of providing material support to protesters during the 2016 Kashmir unrest. Parvez has denied all allegations against him.
