Delhi HC allows jailed J&K MP Engineer Rashid to attend Parliament
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New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday allowed Jammu and Kashmir MP Engineer Rashid to attend the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament, despite being in judicial custody over a terror funding case.
Engineer Rashid, who won the Lok Sabha election from Baramulla by defeating National Conference Vice President and now Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by over two lakh votes, has been lodged in Tihar Jail while being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
A bench of Justices Chandra Dhari Singh and Anup Jairam Bhambhani reserved its verdict on Tuesday after hearing arguments from both the anti-terror agency and Rashid’s legal counsel. Rashid had approached the High Court challenging a March 10 order by the special NIA court that denied him custody parole, calling the decision "erroneous."
The Delhi High Court had earlier issued a notice on Rashid’s plea, directing the NIA to respond to his request for custody parole and submit any objections before March 17.
Previously, a single-judge Bench led by Justice Vikas Mahajan granted Rashid custody parole for February 11 and 13 to attend Parliament, imposing strict conditions, including barring him from interacting with anyone beyond his parliamentary responsibilities and restricting him from addressing the media.
Following Wednesday’s High Court ruling, Rashid attended the Parliament session under heavy police security.
In November last year, a local court recommended transferring his case to the MP/MLA court, given his new status as a Member of Parliament, instead of ruling on his regular bail plea. Rashid subsequently moved the Delhi High Court, seeking an expedited decision on his bail application. After the Supreme Court clarified the jurisdiction issue, the High Court directed the special NIA court to decide his bail plea.
Last week, the Patiala House court rejected Rashid’s regular bail application under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Additional District Judge Chander Jit Singh pronounced the order in court, stating: "The bail plea dismissed."
With IANS inputs