A Delhi court on Tuesday reserved its order on the plea of Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid seeking permission to attend the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, which begins on July 21.
Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh said the order on the application, which seeks either interim bail or custody parole, will be pronounced on July 21. Rashid, who is currently lodged in Tihar Jail, had moved the plea citing his duties as an elected representative in the Lok Sabha.
Engineer Rashid, a former MLA from Jammu and Kashmir and founder of the Awami Ittehad Party, defeated National Conference leader Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla constituency while being incarcerated.
He has been in judicial custody since 2019 after his arrest by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the 2017 terror funding case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The NIA has accused Rashid of channeling funds to separatists and terrorist groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir.
His name allegedly surfaced during the interrogation of co-accused businessman Zahoor Watali. Subsequently, he was chargesheeted by the NIA in October 2019. In March 2022, a special NIA court framed charges against him under several stringent provisions, including Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war against the Government of India), and 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code, in addition to provisions under the UAPA.
The court is now tasked with determining whether Rashid can be granted temporary release to fulfill his parliamentary responsibilities, either through interim bail or custody parole—where he would be escorted by armed police during his time outside prison.
The matter will be decided on the opening day of the Parliament session.
