New Delhi: A city court on Wednesday reserved its order on a plea moved by Jailed parliamentarian Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, seeking bail in a 2017 terror funding case and is likely to pronounce its verdict on September 4.
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Chander Jit Singh heard the arguments on Rashid’s bail plea during in-camera proceedings on Wednesday and reserved the order.
The court had earlier issued notice to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Rashid’s bail plea and directed the central agency to file its response by August 28.
The court sources told news agency PTI that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has opposed Rashid’d bail plea, submitting that he may influence the witnesses and tamper with evidence to obstruct justice and might misuse his liberty if released on bail.
Rashid is currently lodged in Tihar Jail
Rashid, who won from the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency in the recent general elections, is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in judicial custody in an alleged 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Rashid won from Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency in 2024 general elections
Rashid contested the Lok Sabha elections while in judicial custody in Tihar Jail and won from the Baramulla parliamentary constituency defeating his nearest rival and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah.
Court earlier granted custody parole for two hours to Rashid to enable him to take oath as an MP
Rashid had earlier moved the court after being elected an MP from the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat seeking interim bail, or custody parole in the alternative, to take oath as a Member of Parliament (MP) and perform his parliamentary functions. The court had allowed custody parole to Rashid for two hours on July 5 to enable him to take oath as an MP on Rashid’s plea.
NIA has filed charge sheet in the terror funding case against several persons
Rashid is lodged in Tihar jail since 2019 after he was charged by the NIA under the provisions of UAPA in the alleged terror funding case.
The NIA had filed a charge sheet in the case before a court in the national capital against several persons, including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin. Kashmiri separatist leader Malik was awarded life imprisonment in 2022 by a trial court after he pleaded guilty to the charges.