New Delhi, Jan 22: Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid has filed a bail application with the Delhi High Court under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) regarding the 2017 terror-funding case.
His attorney indicated that they have requested the High Court to direct the trial court judge to prioritize Rashid’s pending regular bail application. Alternatively, they have asked the Delhi High Court to evaluate the issue and issue a ruling on the bail.
The Delhi High Court is set to review the matter tomorrow.
Recently, the Patiala House Court in Delhi denied a request for a ruling on Rashid’s regular bail plea in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir terror-funding case. The court clarified that it is currently limited to addressing miscellaneous applications and cannot rule on the regular bail request at this stage.
The district judge previously sent the case back to the ASJ court following a request from the ASJ to transfer the matter to a court designated for lawmakers, considering Rashid’s position as an MP. This transfer was made with the agreement of both the accused and the prosecuting body, the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The district judge’s decision was influenced by the pending issue of court jurisdiction still awaiting a ruling from the Delhi High Court. Until the High Court resolves the jurisdiction matter, the ASJ court will proceed with the hearing.
Both Rashid’s counsel and the NIA have consented to keep the matter in the existing court. Additionally, the special judge proposed shifting a related money laundering case and Rashid’s regular bail application to the court designated for lawmakers.
Engineer Rashid, an independent MP for Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir, recently reported to Tihar Jail after his interim bail lapsed. This situation is linked to the ongoing investigation by the NIA into the Jammu and Kashmir terror-funding case. Rashid was arrested under the UAPA in August 2019.
While imprisoned, he submitted his nomination for the 2024 parliamentary elections from jail and won with a significant margin of 204,000 votes, defeating former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah. In 2022, the NIA Court at Patiala House instructed the framing of charges against Rashid and several other significant individuals, including Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin, Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Masrat Alam, Zahoor Ahmed Watali, Bitta Karate, Aftab Ahmed Shah, Avtar Ahmed Shah, Naeem Khan, and Bashir Ahmed Butt (also referred to as Peer Saifullah).
These charges are part of a broader investigation into terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir, where the NIA claims various militant groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and JKLF, worked alongside Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI, to orchestrate attacks on civilians and security personnel in the region.
The NIA investigation asserts that the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) was established in 1993 to promote separatist activities, channeling funds through hawala and other clandestine means. Hafiz Saeed, along with Hurriyat leaders, is accused of utilizing these illegal funds to incite unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, targeting security forces, fomenting violence, setting fire to schools, and damaging public property.
The agency argues that these operations aimed to destabilize the region and foster terrorism under the guise of political resistance. (Agencies)
