A Delhi court on Friday postponed the decision on Jammu and Kashmir MP Engineer Rashid’s request for custody parole, which would allow him to attend the upcoming Parliament session. The court has rescheduled to pass the order on March 10, after initially reserving judgment on March 5.
Engineer Rashid, who is popularly known as Sheikh Abdul Rashid and famously defeated former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Baramulla, has been seeking the relief to perform his duties as a parliamentarian. His lawyer, Vikhyat Oberoi, confirmed the developments surrounding the plea initially filed on February 27.
Currently held in Tihar Jail since 2019, Rashid was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in a 2017 terror funding case. This case has also implicated other notable figures in its chargesheet, including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin. Malik was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2022 after pleading guilty to the charges.
The plea for custody parole isn’t Rashid’s first bid for temporary release; he was granted interim bail on September 10 to campaign in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. He surrendered back to jail custody on October 27, following his electoral campaign.
The Delhi High Court had recently directed the sessions judge to expediently decide Rashid’s bail plea, especially in light of a December 24, 2024 directive transferring his case to a court designated to try lawmakers.
