Engineer Rashid's Interim Bail Plea in Terror Funding Case

A Delhi court has scheduled June 18 to hear Engineer Rashid's plea for interim bail in a 2016 terror funding case. Rashid, recently elected as a Member of Parliament, seeks bail to take oath and fulfill his parliamentary duties. The ex-MLA has been in Tihar Jail since 2019.

A Delhi court has scheduled June 18 for hearing arguments on Engineer Rashid's application for interim bail in a 2016 Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case. Rashid, recently victorious in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, seeks temporary freedom to take his parliamentary oath.

Sheikh Abdul Rashid, widely known as Engineer Rashid, triumphed over former J-K chief minister Omar Abdullah in the Baramulla constituency as an Independent candidate. He is currently a former Member of the Legislative Assembly from the Union Territory.

Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh deferred the matter to June 18 after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) requested additional time to respond to Rashid's application. The NIA also noted on June 7 that the oath-taking notification for newly elected Lok Sabha members was yet to be published. The court remarked that if the notification is issued before the next hearing, Rashid could petition for an expedited resolution.

In his plea, Rashid requested either interim bail or custody parole to fulfill his parliamentary functions. He has been incarcerated since 2019 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for his alleged involvement in terror funding.

Rashid's name surfaced during the NIA's investigation into Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, accused of financing terrorist groups and separatists in the valley. The NIA charged several individuals, including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik and Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, in this case. Malik received a life sentence in 2022 after admitting guilt.