A Delhi court on Monday declined the custody parole request of Jammu and Kashmir MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, who sought to attend the upcoming Parliament session. Additional sessions judge Chander Jit Singh dismissed the plea and has scheduled to post an order on Rashid’s regular bail plea on March 19.
Rashid, who has been incarcerated in Tihar Jail since 2019 following his arrest under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with a 2017 terror funding case, filed the parole application on February 27 through his advocate Vikhyat Oberoi. The application argued that Rashid’s presence was needed in the upcoming session of Parliament, scheduled from March 10 to April 4, to fulfill his duties as a parliamentarian.
The court had previously granted Rashid interim bail on September 10 to enable him to campaign in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, after which he surrendered on October 27. The elections, which concluded with the National Conference-Congress alliance winning a majority, marked a significant political event in the region.
The plea’s rejection comes amidst ongoing legal proceedings against Rashid, who defeated former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Baramulla. The National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) involvement stems from Rashid’s alleged connections to Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was arrested for allegedly funding terrorist groups and separatists in Kashmir.
The case has also implicated several high-profile figures, including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, all charged in the same terror funding scenario. Malik has been sentenced to life imprisonment in 2022 after pleading guilty to the charges.
