Firebrand Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and legislator Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, 37, has been served summons by the Income Tax (I-T) department in Srinagar.
According to the notice, Mr. Parra was required to attend the I-T office in Srinagar on December 20, 2024. Ironically, he received the notice on Sunday, December 22, 2024. The notice says: “Give evidence and produce either personally or through an authorised representative the books of account or other documents and not to depart until you receive my permission to do so.”
The summons to Mr. Parra has been issued under Section 131 of the Income Tax Act. The case pertains to verification of the affidavit filed by the candidates who contested elections.
Mr. Parra won the Assembly elections from Pulwama earlier this year. He is vocal and has been able to set discourse on key issues in Jammu and Kashmir, including reservation, jobs and land use.
“I will attend and respond to the summons but I want to clarify there is nothing against me and I have faced multiple investigations till now and there is nothing. But these investigations are endless,” Mr. Parra told The Hindu.
Mr. Parra is already attending courts every month for a case filed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, filed in 2020 just three days after he filed his nomination papers for the District Development Council (DDC) elections. He later won the DDC elections and was not allowed to take oath in jail. He was released after 19 months on bail by the High Court in 2022. Earlier this year, he was selected as the Yale Peace Fellow at Yale University’s International Leadership Centre but was denied permission to travel.
Published – December 22, 2024 10:11 pm IST