The Jammu and Kashmir MP had sought custody parole seeking to attend the upcoming Parliament session. Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh dismissed the plea and scheduled the order on Rashid’s regular bail plea for March 19.
Delhi’s Patiala House Court on Monday rejected the custody parole application of Baramulla MP Rashid Engineer. The J&K MP had sought custody parole seeking to attend the upcoming Parliament session. Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh dismissed the plea and scheduled the order on Rashid’s regular bail plea for March 19.
The court had asked the National Investigation Agency to respond to the plea on March 3, following which it reserved its verdict after hearing the arguments. The application, filed by advocate Vikhyat Oberoi for Rashid on February 27, sought the relief on the grounds that Rashid was a parliamentarian and needed to attend the upcoming session to fulfil his public duty.
Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, defeated Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Baramulla.
Rashid’s regular bail plea is currently pending before court
Rashid’s regular bail petition is currently pending before court. The judge on September 10 granted interim bail to Rashid to enable him to campaign for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Rashid surrendered himself before Tihar Jail on October 27.
Rashid has been lodged in Tihar jail since 2019 after he was arrested by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in a 2017 terror funding case. Elections to the 90-member J-K assembly were held in three phases from September 18 to October 1. The results were declared on October 8 in which the National Conference-Congress alliance attained a clear majority with 48 seats.
The Delhi High Court on February 24 directed the sessions judge to expeditiously decide the bail plea of Rashid in the case.
Rashid’s name cropped up during the investigation of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was arrested by the NIA for allegedly funding terrorist groups and separatists in the Kashmir Valley.
The NIA filed a chargesheet against several persons, including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, in the case.