Delhi court grants custody parole to MP Engineer Rashid for Lok Sabha attendance

A Delhi court has approved custody parole for Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid, allowing him to attend the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament from July 24 to August 4.

Rashid has been incarcerated in Tihar Jail since 2019, following his arrest by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a 2017 terror funding case.

The custody parole was granted by Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh, though the detailed court order is still awaited.

Rashid had sought either interim bail or custody parole to fulfil his duties as a Member of Parliament after his electoral victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, where he notably defeated former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Custody parole implies Rashid will be escorted to Parliament by armed police personnel and returned to jail after proceedings each day.

His legal counsel had earlier argued for interim bail to facilitate his participation in the session. As an alternative, the advocate suggested custody parole should be granted "without payment of travel costs." The NIA opposed interim bail, stating that custody parole could be permitted only if travel expenses were covered.

Rashid is currently facing trial for allegedly providing financial support to separatist and terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir. The NIA’s case stems from his name surfacing during the interrogation of Zahoor Watali, a businessman and co-accused in the same investigation.

In October 2019, the NIA filed its chargesheet against Rashid, and in March 2022, a special court framed charges under several provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war against the government), 124A (sedition), and relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The court’s decision marks a rare instance of an incarcerated MP being allowed to participate in legislative proceedings under police escort.