New Delhi: A city court on Thursday (November 21) recommended to the District Judge for transfer of an alleged terror funding case in which Bramulla Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, is an accused to a court designated to try lawmakers, observing that the accused was now an MP.
The court had earlier reserved its order on whether the alleged terror funding case against Rashid be transferred to a designated MP/MLA court, meant to try lawmakers, now that he is a lawmaker. The court had also reserved its order for today on a regular bail plea filed by Rashid.
Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh on Thursday sent the case file to the District Judge, who would likely hear the matter on November 25, news agency PTI reported.
Case could go to a special court meant to try lawmakers, judge earlier noted
The judge had earlier noted, while hearing the matter, that the alleged terror funding case could go to a designated MP/MLA court meant to try lawmakers, as Rashid, who is currently lodged in judicial custody in Tihar Jail in the terror funding case, is an MP now. The judge, while reserving the order on Rashid’s bail plea, had said that he would first consider the issue of jurisdiction and whether or not to transfer the case to a special court.
Rashid won from Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency
Rashid, who is the chief of the Awami Ittihaad Party, contested the parliamentary elections from the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir while being lodged in Tihar Jail and defeated his nearest rival and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Court earlier granted Rashid interim bail
The court had earlier granted Rashid interim bail from September 10 to October 2 in the alleged terror funding case to enable him to campaign in the recently-concluded Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. His interim bail was later extended on the ground of health condition of his father and he surrendered before the Tihar Jail authorities on October 28.