New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday granted interim bail to Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid, whose real name is Abdul Rashid Sheikh, until June 2, 2026, following the death of his father.
A bench comprising Justices Prathiba M Singh and Madhu Jain granted the relief after noting that the plea sought urgent permission for Rashid to perform funeral rites and participate in customary ceremonies. His father passed away in the early hours of May 18 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.
While allowing interim bail, the High Court imposed several conditions to ensure strict monitoring during the period of release. The court directed that Rashid must remain accompanied at all times by at least two police personnel in plain clothes, who will escort him from the jail until his return from Srinagar. The jail superintendent has been authorised to nominate the accompanying officers.
The court further allowed Rashid to visit the burial ground and places connected to customary rites or worship but prohibited him from travelling anywhere else. During the interim bail period, he will be permitted to stay at his residences in Srinagar or Langate. However, any meetings with individuals other than immediate family members must take place only in the presence of the accompanying police officials.
The application seeking interim bail was filed under Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) by advocates Vikhyat Oberoi, Nishita Gupta, Ravi Sharma and Shivam Prakash.
Rashid, who won the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Baramulla by defeating Omar Abdullah by more than two lakh votes, has been lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail since 2019 in a terror-funding case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Omar Abdullah later became the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier, Rashid’s plea for regular bail was rejected by the trial court on March 21, 2025. In April, he was granted one week’s interim bail to visit his ailing father.
According to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Rashid allegedly used public platforms to promote separatist ideology and maintained close links with various terrorist organisations. The agency claimed he attempted to legitimise the United Jihad Council, an umbrella platform of anti-India militant groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir.
The NIA case was registered on May 30, 2017, under Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code and multiple sections of the UAPA against Hafiz Saeed and several separatist leaders, including Rashid.
The agency alleged that the accused received funds through hawala channels in connivance with members of organisations such as Hizbul Mujahideen, Dukhtaran-e-Millat and Lashkar-e-Taiba to finance militant activities in Jammu and Kashmir.