New Delhi- The Delhi High Court has permitted Jammu and Kashmir MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, commonly known as Engineer Rashid, to attend the ongoing Parliament session under custody, rejecting the NIA’s concerns about him being a flight risk.
A bench of Justices Chandra Dhari Singh and Anup Jairam Bhambhani directed the director general (prisons) to facilitate Rashid’s escorted travel to Parliament between March 26 and April 4. He will be accompanied by plainclothes policemen and handed over to Parliament security during the proceedings.
The court, in its March 25 order, imposed strict conditions, barring Rashid from using any communication devices, accessing the internet, or interacting with anyone outside jail except within Parliament premises. He is also prohibited from addressing the media. Additionally, Rashid will bear the cost of his travel and security arrangements.
Currently lodged in Tihar Jail, Rashid has been in judicial custody since his arrest by the NIA in 2019 in connection with a 2017 terror-funding case. He had initially sought interim bail or custody parole to attend the Lok Sabha session but later requested in-custody attendance instead.
The NIA opposed his plea, arguing that allowing him to attend Parliament would give him a platform to express his views, which could be misused. The court dismissed these concerns, emphasizing that parliamentary proceedings are under the Lok Sabha Speaker’s jurisdiction and will be conducted with the necessary discipline.
The bench affirmed that Rashid’s presence in Parliament would not compromise his judicial custody, as he would remain under strict supervision. It also noted that, despite the gravity of the charges against him, he has a duty to represent his constituency in Parliament.
The Baramulla MP, who defeated Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, is facing trial in a terror funding case with allegations that he funded separatists and terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir.
He has been lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail since 2019 after the NIA arrested him in the 2017 terror-funding case. He was granted interim bail for one month in September last year to campaign in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election.
The NIA’s FIR alleged Rashid’s name cropped up during the interrogation of businessman and co-accused Zahoor Watali.
After being chargesheeted in October 2019, a special NIA court framed charges against Rashid and others in March 2022 under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war against the government), and 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code and for offences relating to terrorist acts and terror funding under UAPA.
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