Srinagar court refuses to permit PDP leader Waheed Para to travel out of J&K for a year for ailing father’s treatment

A Srinagar court recently rejected a plea by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Waheed ur Rehman Para seeking permission to travel outside the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for a year in connection with his father’s cancer treatment. [Waheed ur Rehman Para v. UT Of J&K].Para who is facing charges in a case under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly supporting “terrorist activities”, is not permitted to leave J&K without permission of the trial court, as part of his bail conditions set by the J&K High Court. Special Judge Sandeep Gandotra said a “blanket permission” to travel to Delhi and Mumbai will hamper the trial and there was a genuine apprehension of Para fleeing the country.“One cannot lose sight of the fact that the applicant has filed this application seeking blanket permission for one year to go to Mumbai and Delhi for treatment of his ailing father, without informing this court ...,” the Court said..The special court under the National Investigation Agency Act (NIA Act) added that Para was “in the habit of moving applications” to go outside J&K and outside the country on one pretext or another.In this regard, the Court referred to his earlier applications for permission to travel to the United States and to take his ailing father to Mumbai for treatment. It noted that on one hand Para had filed an application seeking permission to travel to the USA for three months to attend YALE fellowship knowing well that his father was suffering from a serious medical condition, and now he has filed the application seeking blanket permission for one year to travel to Mumbai for his father's treatment.“This clearly shows that the present application has been filed only to prolong the trial of the case,” Judge Gandotra said..The Court further said such permission cannot be granted as there are apprehensions Para will misuse his liberty and “try and connect” with “elements” in India who are suspected of “running terrorist/secessionist networks”.“There are also apprehensions of the applicant trying to influence the collection of evidence,” it said while dismissing the application.In June, Para was denied permission to travel abroad for YALE Peace Fellowship. In April, he had been granted permission to travel to Mumbai on “humanitarian grounds” to enable him to take his father to TATA Memorial Center Mumbai..Advocate Shariq R Jan represented the applicant[Read Order]