A Delhi court on Monday required the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to respond by March 5 to a plea by Engineer Rashid, a jailed MP from Jammu and Kashmir, who has requested permission to attend the upcoming Parliament session. Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh is overseeing the matter involving Rashid, who argues that his attendance is necessary to fulfill his public duties.
Sheikh Abdul Rashid, widely known as Engineer Rashid, made headlines after defeating former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections for the Baramulla constituency. His regular bail application is still pending before the court.
The plea comes ahead of the second part of Parliament’s Budget session, scheduled from March 10 to April 4. Previously, on September 10, Rashid was granted interim bail to participate in the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, following which he surrendered himself to Tihar Jail on October 27.
Engineer Rashid has been in custody since 2019 following his arrest under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act as part of a 2017 case concerning terror funding. The elections for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, held from September 18 to October 1, concluded with the National Conference-Congress alliance winning a majority.
The Delhi High Court recently directed the sessions judge to expedite the decision on Rashid’s bail plea, following a December 24, 2024, order that requested the district judge to transfer the case to a court designated to try lawmakers.
Rashid was implicated during the investigation of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was arrested by the NIA for allegedly funding terrorist groups and separatists in Kashmir. A chargesheet was filed against several individuals, including key figures such as Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin.
