A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Wednesday directed the jail authorities in Srinagar to extendmedical aid to incarcerated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) youth leader Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, 34, who was found unconscious in his barrack in the Central Jail Srinagar last week.
“Superintendent, Central Jail, Srinagar, is directed to get the accused medically examined from a competent or specialised doctor under rules and submit compliance report before this court,” the judge said, in his directions.
Parra, who was arrested by the NIA on November 25, 2020, was found unconscious in a barrack in the jail, a close aide said.
Parra was immediately shifted to the police hospital where the doctors recommended an ECHO check-up by a specialist in Shri Maharaja Hari Singh hospital. However, the jail authorities were unable to facilitate the same, the aide said.
“Parra, jailed since November 2020 on baseless charges, is in need of urgent medical care and assistance. I request and urge the Union Home Minister [Amit Shah] to facilitate this at the earliest. His case is being dragged,and only dates of hearing are announced. The process is being turned into punishment,” former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said.
According to the NIA, Parra “established clandestine connections and relations with different Pakistani terrorists and secessionist organisations operating in J&K”.
A close aide of Ms. Mufti and a well-known youth politician from the Valley, Parra won the District Development Council (DDC) polls in 2020 from Pulwama. Earlier, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had praised him for “mainstreaming youth through sports activities in Kashmir”.
