Delhi High Court has asked NIA to respond to MP Engineer Rashid’s bail plea in a 2019 terror funding case. The court also heard his challenge to charges framed by the trial court.
New Delhi: Today, On Thursday, May 15, the Delhi High Court asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to respond to a bail application filed by Member of Parliament (MP) Engineer Rashid.
Rashid, who has been in jail since 2019 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), is seeking regular bail in a terror funding case.
A bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad and Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar issued a notice to the NIA after hearing Rashid’s appeal.
This appeal challenges the trial court’s earlier decision, dated March 21, which had refused to grant him bail.
Engineer Rashid, who recently made headlines for defeating current Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by over two lakh votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla, had earlier been given interim bail to campaign during the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections.
He has also previously been granted custody parole to attend Parliament proceedings.
Alongside the bail matter, the Delhi High Court also heard a second plea from Engineer Rashid on the same day.
This plea challenged the criminal charges that were framed against him by the trial court. However, the NIA strongly opposed this move, stating that Rashid’s petition was filed after a significant delay.
Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Akshai Malik during the court proceedings said,
“There is substantial delay in this matter. There is a delay of 1100 days,”
Adding to this, Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, who also appeared on behalf of the NIA, argued firmly,
“The mandate of law is that delay beyond 90 days cannot be condoned. He will have to explain the grounds for delay. There is substantial delay. This is something I am opposing.”
On the other side, Rashid’s legal team insisted that the delay could be accepted by the court.
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argued his counsel,
“90 days period is not sacrosanct and the power to condone is with the Court specially when matters relate to life and liberty,”
After hearing both sides, the Delhi High Court directed that a reply should be filed focusing only on the limited issue of whether the delay can be excused.
The court then listed the matter for further hearing on July 29.
Advocates Aditya Wadhwa and Vikhyat Oberoi appeared for Engineer Rashid in the case.
This development in the high-profile terror funding case involving a sitting MP has drawn considerable public and legal attention, especially given Rashid’s electoral success and his prolonged incarceration.
The next hearing on July 29 is expected to focus solely on the question of delay in filing the challenge against the framing of charges.
