Waheed Para provided financial support to militant outfit: NIA

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said that president of the PDP Youth Wing, Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, had provided financial support of Rs 10 lakh to the militant outfit before the 2019 parliamentary elections. Para, who has also won the Pulwama seat in the district development elections, could not be sworn due to his detention.

Srinagar: Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, president of the PDP Youth Wing, allegedly gave Rs 10 lakh to the militant outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. As per the sources in the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Para had provided financial support to the militant outfit before the 2019 parliamentary elections.

Last month, the NIA interrogated Waheed-ur-Rehman Para following which he was taken into custody.

According to the agency, Para's arrest was made due to his involvement in the case of suspended DSP Davinder Singh. Meanwhile, Para has also won the Pulwama seat in the district development elections but could not be sworn due to his detention.

When ETV Bharat tried to contact Waheed-ur-Rehman's lawyer in this regard, he refused to comment, saying the matter was in court. However, in a petition filed by Para in the NIA special court for his release, he has denied all the allegations levelled against him while claiming that "a conspiracy has been hatched against him to gain political advantage for some people".

According to the sources in NIA, the money was allegedly given to Hizbul Mujahideen militant Sayed Mushtaq Naveed alias Naveed Babu by Davinder Singh. Singh allegedly hid the money in a lunch box and delivered it to Naveed Babu.

Davinder Singh was arrested in January this year while he was driving Naveed Babu and another militant to Delhi.

The charge sheet filed by the agency claimed that "Singh provided accommodation to the militants and used to get instructions from handlers in Pakistan."

According to the sources, in February last year, the militants had sought financial help from Para. Para's long time acquaintance Irfan Shafi Mir had told him that Hizb-ul-Mujahideen needed Rs 10 lakh for buying weapons. Para had agreed to pay the amount with a condition that Hizb-ul-Mujahideen not take any 'action' during the parliamentary elections and will also provide support to his party.

While PDP leader and former JK CM took to Twitter and wrote, "NIA Court clearly directed @dcpulwama to administer oath to PDPs @parawahid . Yet the administration chose to brazenly violate this order. Won’t be an exaggeration to see it as mischief to deny Waheed his fundamental right. @ECISVEEP @KKSharmaJK."