NIA opposes Engineer Rashid’s plea filed before Delhi HC for interim bail
New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday opposed an application filed before the Delhi High Court by incarcerated Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid seeking interim bail.
A bench of Justice Vikas Mahajan was hearing Engineer Rashid’s plea to grant him interim bail to attend the ongoing Budget session of the Parliament, which began on January 31 and concludes on April 4.
Engineer Rashid won the Lok Sabha election from J&K’s Baramulla constituency by defeating National Conference (NC) Vice President and incumbent Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah by over two lakh votes while he remained lodged in Tihar Jail. He was arrested by the NIA in 2019 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The ED had also filed a money laundering case against Engineer Rashid and the accused persons on the basis of the NIA’s FIR, which accused them of conspiring to wage war against the government and fomenting trouble in the Valley. In his plea filed before the Delhi High Court, Engineer Rashid, accused in a terror funding case, prayed that he be given custody parole if not interim bail to attend the Parliament session.
Earlier, the Delhi HC had asked the NIA to present its stand and listed the matter for hearing on January 30.
On December 24, 2024, Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh requested the District Judge to transfer Rashid’s case to a court designated to try lawmakers as Rashid became an MP.
The Additional Sessions Judge had dismissed Rashid’s plea urging him to pronounce the verdict on his pending bail application in the NIA case.
Engineer Rashid has represented the north Kashmir Langate Assembly constituency in J&K twice. His brother, Sheikh Khurshid Ahmad won the 2024 Assembly election from the Langate Assembly constituency.