Delhi High Court Issues Notice on Engineer Rashid's Bail Plea in Terror Funding Case

The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the National Investigation Agency regarding a bail plea filed by Baramulla MP Rashid Engineer, as his regular bail application remains pending in the 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror-funding case. The matter is scheduled for January 2025.

The Delhi High Court has taken a significant step by issuing a notice to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) regarding Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid's bail plea in the 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror-funding case. Rashid is seeking a directive from the High Court to expedite the trial court's decision on his regular bail application. Alternatively, he has requested the Delhi High Court to address the matter directly.

A bench comprising Justice Vikas Mahajan has handled the notice and has scheduled the case for January 30, 2025. Rashid's legal counsel, Senior Advocate N Hariharan, argued the importance of a timely resolution, noting his client's obligations as a parliamentarian, including participation in the upcoming budget session of Parliament.

Despite a recent rejection from Delhi's Patiala House Court on Rashid's regular bail plea, the trial court has stated it is only authorized to handle miscellaneous applications at this stage. The case was earlier returned to the ASJ court for transfer to a designated lawmakers' court, with both parties, Rashid and the NIA, consenting to this arrangement. With ongoing jurisdiction issues awaiting Delhi High Court's ruling, the present court continues to hear the case. Rashid, currently in Tihar Jail, previously won the 2024 parliamentary elections from jail, underlining the political dimension intertwined with the legal proceedings.

(With inputs from agencies.)