Police approaches Google, US for Parra’s emails

PARRA’S LAWYER, AS WELL AS THE PDP, HAS DENIED ALL THE ALLEGATIONS LEVELLED AGAINST HIM

The US authorities and Google have been approached by the Jammu and Kashmir Police to share email contents exchanged by Waheedur-Rehman Parra, a close aide of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, with Pakistan-based secessionist leaders and terrorists, a charge sheet filed by the union territory police has said.

The charge sheet said there is a prima facie evidence “sufficient to launch prosecution” against Parra for establishing a nexus with terrorists to seek their backing for his political gains and for reciprocating by way of providing a range of help and support which led to terror strikes. “During investigation, it was found that the accused used to receive instructions and advice from Pakistan-based secessionist and terrorist leaders and communicated action-taken reports and a host of information in furtherance of terrorism and secessionism,” the charge sheet filed by the Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) wing of the police said. The charge sheet, submitted before a designated court in Srinagar earlier this month, said Parra used to share information through several email services, of which three have been brought on record.

“Accordingly, a request has been forwarded through proper channels to Google US as per their standard forms and norms for providing details/contents of emails exchanged by Parra through his three email IDs,” the 19-page charge sheet said.

Parra’s lawyer, as well as the PDP, has denied all the allegations levelled against Parra and has termed them “politically motivated”.

Mehbooba Mufti has also alleged that the police were “torturing” Parra and keeping him in “inhuman conditions”.

She had tweeted earlier that Parra was being “persecuted and tortured to admit the false allegations. Since an admission didn’t happen, he is being kept under inhuman conditions. This investigation has been fraudulent and politically motivated from day one”. However, the police said that even the US authorities have been approached through the medium of Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) via Ministry of External Affairs for providing necessary assistance in the case.