New Delhi, March 5: A Delhi court has set March 7 as the date for its decision regarding the custody parole request of Engineer Rashid, the imprisoned MP from Jammu and Kashmir, to attend the upcoming Parliament session. Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh announced the reservation of the verdict after reviewing the arguments presented on Rashid’s plea.
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On March 3, the court instructed the NIA to respond to Rashid’s request. The application was submitted by Rashid’s attorney, Vikhyat Oberoi, on February 27, emphasizing Rashid’s role as a parliamentarian and the necessity for him to participate in the upcoming session to fulfill his public duties. Known for defeating Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Baramulla, Rashid’s regular bail application remains pending before the court.
The second phase of Parliament’s budget session is slated to commence on March 10 and conclude on April 4. The judge granted Rashid interim bail on September 10 to facilitate his campaign for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Rashid surrendered to Tihar Jail on October 27 and has been incarcerated since 2019 after being arrested by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act related to a terror funding case from 2017.
On February 24, the Delhi High Court directed the sessions judge to promptly address Rashid’s bail plea in light of a previous order on December 24, 2024, which asked for the case to be transferred to a designated court for lawmakers. Rashid’s name emerged during the investigations into Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was apprehended by the NIA for allegedly providing financial support to terrorist organizations and separatists in the Kashmir region. The NIA has filed charges against various individuals, including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin. Malik received a life sentence from a trial court in 2022 after pleading guilty to the charges. (Agencies)
