Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, a youth leader of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), was denied permission by a Srinagar court to leave the Union Territory for a year in order to take care of his ailing father. In order to obtain permission to go outside of J&K for his father's cancer treatment, Para had submitted an application to Special Judge Sandeep Gandotra of the NIA court.
For allegedly supporting "terrorist activities," Para is accused in a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and as part of his bail conditions, the High Court forbade him from leaving J&K. On Thursday, Special Judge Sandeep Gandotra rejected Para's request for "blanket permission" to visit Delhi and Mumbai for the medical treatment of his father, stating that it would impede the trial and that there was an apprehension that Para might try to leave the country.
One cannot overlook the fact that the applicant submitted this application requesting "blanket permission" for one year to go to Mumbai and Delhi for his father's medical care without informing this court, the bench pointed out. The court also noted that Para had a history of seeking permission to travel outside the J&K and the country for a number of different reasons, including a prior request to go to the United States, and to take his ailing father to Mumbai for treatment.
The NIA court noticed a contradiction in Para's travel petitions earlier, despite being aware that his father had a critical medical condition. Earlier, Para had submitted an application urging the court that he be allowed to go for three months to the USA to attend the YALE fellowship. He had submitted an application asking for general permission to visit Mumbai for his father's treatment for a period of one year. This demonstrates unequivocally that the current application was merely submitted to delay the trial, judge Gandotra remarked.
The court expressed concern that the PDP leader would abuse his freedom and seek to contact "elements" in India, who are thought to be "running terrorist/secessionist networks" while refusing him permission. Despite being refused permission to travel for the YALE Peace Fellowship in June this year, However, Para was granted permission to visit Mumbai on "humanitarian grounds" in order to accompany his father to the TATA Memorial Centre in Mumbai in April for cancer treatment.
