Srinagar, Oct 7: The Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency (SIA) has filed a detailed response before the J&K High Court, urging it to dismiss a plea filed by PDP leader and MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra seeking permission to travel outside the Union Territory while on bail in a terror-linked case registered against him in 2020.
Appearing through Additional Advocate General Mohsin S Qadri, the SIA described Parra’s application as “baseless, meritless, and misleading,” arguing that his alleged involvement in serious and heinous offences makes him ineligible for any relaxation in bail conditions.
“It may be true that the applicant has not violated any bail condition in the past three years. However, allowing him to move freely outside J&K would undermine the powers of the trial court to properly supervise and monitor the ongoing proceedings,” the agency stated in its reply.
Parra, who was granted bail in May 2022, recently sought court permission to travel outside the Union Territory. The SIA contended that being on bail does not automatically grant the right to unrestricted movement. “The fact that the applicant is on bail and has complied with conditions so far cannot justify his request to leave the territorial limits of J&K. National security and larger public interest are paramount,” Qadri said.
The agency also accused Parra of concealing material facts and misleading the court, noting that he had filed a similar petition in 2023 which remains pending. “The applicant has not come with clean hands. He has indulged in suppression and misrepresentation of facts, amounting to abuse of judicial process. Such conduct even calls for contempt proceedings,” the SIA counsel argued.
The agency maintained that the requirement of prior permission to travel outside J&K was a key condition of Parra’s bail, keeping in mind the gravity of the charges. Any modification of that condition, it said, would amount to reviewing or deleting a part of the bail order — something not permissible under criminal jurisprudence.
“By allowing this plea, other bail conditions such as his mandatory appearance before the investigating officer and the trial court would become redundant. There is also a strong likelihood that the applicant may exploit the relaxation to evade or delay trial,” the SIA submitted.
The agency further argued that Parra continues to face a case built on strong and concrete evidence, and that his freedom to travel could potentially hamper the speedy and effective conduct of trial.
Asserting that no citizen, including the applicant, can claim special treatment, the SIA said the trial court already has discretion to grant travel permissions when necessary. “The condition imposed is not harsh but essential to ensure accountability,” it added.
The SIA concluded that Parra’s application, if allowed, would set a dangerous precedent for other accused in similar cases and urged the High Court to dismiss it outright in the interest of justice and national security.
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