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The Delhi High Court on Monday sought responses from activist Khurram Parvez and Kashmiri journalist Irfan Mehraj on appeals filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) challenging the trial court's order granting them bail in the 2020 UAPA case relating to the alleged NGO terror funding case.
A Division Bench of Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Vikas Mahajan issued notice on the NIA's appeals and directed the respondents to file their replies. The matter has been listed for further hearing on Tuesday. The High Court did not pass any interim order on the NIA's request at this stage and will consider the agency's challenge to the bail order when the matter is taken up again on Tuesday. It was also the court that the trial court had granted bail to Khurram Parvez and Irfan Mehraj; they have not yet been released from judicial custody as their bail bonds are under verification. Earlier in the day, the NIA had mentioned the matter before the High Court seeking urgent hearing against the bail order passed by the trial court. The agency argued that the matter required immediate consideration. After hearing the submissions, the High Court agreed to take up the appeals. A Delhi court on Saturday granted bail to Khurram Parvez and Irfan Mehraj in the 2020 UAPA case registered by the NIA. The order was passed by the Principal District and Sessions Judge Pitamber Dutt of the Patiala House Courts. A detailed order is awaited. With the grant of bail in the present case, the order paves the way for Parvez's release, as he had recently secured bail from the Delhi High Court in another UAPA case. The NIA registered the case in October 2020, alleging that certain NGOs, trusts and societies operating in Jammu and Kashmir were involved in raising and diverting funds for terror-related activities. Mehraj had worked as a researcher with the Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) until March 2022, while Parvez served as the coordinator of the organisation. According to the NIA, Parvez provided "material support" to protesters during the 2016 unrest in Kashmir. The agency has also alleged that certain registered and unregistered NGOs collected funds in India and abroad in the name of charitable and welfare activities but developed links with banned terrorist organisations, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM). These allegations are denied by the accused. (ANI)
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