The Principal and Sessions Judge of Patiala House Court, Pitamber Dutt, passed an order granting bail to human rights activist Khurram Parvez and journalist Irfan Mehraj in a case registered by the National Investigation Agency under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in October 2020. The order was delivered on 18 July 2026. A detailed order is awaited from the court.
The court’s decision paves the way for the release of Khurram Parvez, who had previously been granted bail in another UAPA matter by the Delhi High Court. Irfan Mehraj, who was employed as a researcher with the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society until March 2022, also received bail in the same proceeding.
The NIA’s case alleges that Parvez, in his capacity as coordinator of a rights group, provided material support to protestors in Kashmir during the 2016 agitation. The agency has stated that it is probing the involvement of certain valley‑based NGOs, trusts and societies in the funding of terror‑related activities. In its submissions the NIA contended that some organisations, whether registered or unregistered, collect funds domestically and abroad under the guise of charitable and welfare work such as public health and education, and that a subset of these bodies have developed links with proscribed terrorist groups including Lashkar‑e‑Toiba and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Advocate Swati Khanna appeared on behalf of Khurram Parvez during the bail hearing. The court considered the submissions of the defence and the prosecution before arriving at its decision to grant bail. The judge’s order reflects an assessment of the material placed before it, although the specific reasoning will be clarified once the detailed order is made available.
The grant of bail to both accused means that they may seek release from custody subject to any conditions that the court may impose in the forthcoming detailed order. The case continues to be investigated by the NIA, and the allegations concerning the alleged terror funding network remain under examination.
Legal observers note that the bail order follows a earlier grant of bail to Parvez in a separate UAPA proceeding, indicating a pattern of judicial consideration of bail applications in cases where the agency’s allegations are being probed. The court’s decision underscores the procedural safeguards available to accused persons under the statutory framework, even as the investigation into the NIA’s probe into the role of NGOs in Kashmir proceeds.
The matter remains sub judice, and further developments will depend on the detailed order from the Principal and Sessions Judge and any subsequent proceedings before the trial court.