Delhi Court Directs NIA to Respond to Engineer Rashid’s Interim Bail Application in Terror Funding Case”

A Delhi court on Thursday directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to respond by tomorrow to an application filed by Engineer Rashid, who was arrested in a 2016 Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case. Rashid is seeking interim bail to take the oath as a Member of Parliament (MP) following the recently concluded general elections. He moved the court seeking interim bail or custody parole, alternatively, to take the oath and fulfill his parliamentary duties. The application was submitted before Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh on June 4, who directed the NIA to file its response by today. However, the agency requested additional time to file the reply on Thursday.

Engineer Rashid Defeats Omar Abdullah:

Former Jammu and Kashmir MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, defeated former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Rashid won by a margin of 2,04,142 votes, making him the victor in a highly anticipated election. This was the first Lok Sabha election in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370. The elections to the five seats in Jammu and Kashmir were held in five phases.

Background:

Engineer Rashid has been lodged in Tihar Jail in New Delhi since 2019. The 56-year-old former MLA from Handwara was arrested in 2019 and accused by the NIA under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), marking him as the first mainstream politician to face charges under the anti-terror law. His name surfaced during the investigation of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who the NIA had arrested for allegedly funding terrorist groups and separatists in the Valley.

Charge Sheet and Previous Elections:

The NIA filed a charge sheet against several individuals, including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, in the case. Malik was awarded life imprisonment by a trial court in 2022 after he pleaded guilty to the charges. Rashid was first elected to the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly from the Langate segment in 2008 and secured reelection from the same seat in 2014. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he contested from the Baramulla constituency and stood third.

A follow-up hearing for Engineer Rashid’s interim bail application is expected soon, pending the NIA’s response.

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