Days after he fell unconscious, court orders Parra’s medical tests

“We moved an application before the TADA/NIA court today (on Wednesday),” said advocate Tashveeq Gowhar, who represented Parra in court. “The court has directed the jail authorities to get him examined by a competent doctor.”

In its order, the court directed the Superintendent of Central Jail, Srinagar, to “get the accused medically examined by a special and competent doctor under the rules and to submit the compliance report to the court”.

Parra’s family members said he fell unconscious on Friday morning and when the jail authorities failed to revive him, he was taken to the police hospital. On examination, doctors found he had low blood pressure and advised certain tests such as echo scan. They alleged that while Parra regained consciousness, the jail authorities moved him back without conducting the tests recommended by the doctors.

Parra was picked up by the NIA under the anti-terror laws on November 25, 2020 – a day after he filed nomination for the District Development Council elections from Pulwama.

In January 2021, the special NIA court granted him bail, saying the “offences particularly falling under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, are not prima facie made out against the accused”.

However, as he was stepping out of the jail, officials of the Counter Insurgency unit of J&K Police detained him and booked him under anti-terror laws in a fresh case. Since his re-arrest, Parra’s bail application has been rejected twice.