New Delhi- Jammu and Kashmir MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, commonly known as Engineer Rashid, has moved the Delhi High Court against the Rs 1.45 lakh daily travel cost required for his commute from Tihar Jail to Parliament.
Earlier, the court had permitted Rashid—currently in judicial custody—to attend parliamentary sessions under the condition that he bears his own travel expenses. Now, he is seeking the removal of this condition, arguing that the high cost could prevent him from representing his constituency.
During a hearing before Chief Justice Devendra Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, Rashid’s counsel, Advocate Vikhyat Oberoi, informed the court that authorities had set the daily travel cost at Rs 1.45 lakh. Oberoi emphasized that Rashid was not requesting a cost reduction but a complete removal of the condition, highlighting that he had previously attended Parliament twice without such a requirement.
The court noted that Rashid’s attendance was allowed under a conditional order and asked whether he was seeking its modification. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing.
Rashid has been detained in Tihar Jail since 2019 under the UAPA in a terror funding case. Despite his incarceration, he won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla, defeating J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by over two lakh votes.
After his victory, Rashid approached the Delhi High Court for permission to attend Parliament, which was granted on March 26 with the condition that he bears his travel expenses.
Delhi HC Refuses Urgent Hearing
The Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to grant an urgent hearing to Er Rashid Sheikh, seeking waiver of condition to bear travel expenses for attending the ongoing Parliament session “in-custody”.
The plea was mentioned for urgent hearing during the day before a bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Tushar Rao Gedela, which said if the application has been filed, it will come up on Friday on its own.
The counsel said he was seeking deletion of the condition to bear all expenses for travel and other arrangements and not seeking reduction in the amount given by the prison authorities.
“You file the application and it will come up for hearing tomorrow on its own. We have made it clear and we can’t be more clearer,” the bench said.
Rashid, in his application, said the order granting him permission to attend Parliament was uploaded on the court’s website on March 26 afternoon and in the evening his counsel received an email from the jail authorities that he is required to pay around Rs 1.45 lakh each day for travel and related arrangements. This would make a total of Rs 8.74 lakh for six days, the plea said.
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