Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh, who was set to deliver the ruling on Monday(28th Sept), has postponed the matter.
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court is expected to issue its decision on the bail application of Engineer Rashid, the Lok Sabha MP from Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, in an alleged terror funding case on November 19.
Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh, who was set to deliver the ruling on Monday(28th Sept), has postponed the matter.
On September 10, the judge had granted interim bail to Sheikh Abdul Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid, to allow him to campaign for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections while deferring the decision on his regular bail plea.
The Sessions Judge remarked,
“As we are deliberating on the jurisdiction question regarding whether this case will be heard by this court or the designated MP/MLA court of the National Investigation Agency, let’s reschedule it.”
Engineer Rashid has surrendered to Tihar Jail, as his interim bail has expired today.
BRIEF FACTS
Rashid was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2019 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act related to a 2017 terror funding case. Despite being in jail, he contested the Lok Sabha elections and won, defeating National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and People’s Conference (PC) leader Sajad Lone in Baramulla.
He was granted interim bail to participate in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections for his party, the Awami Itehad Party (AIP). This interim bail was later extended to October 28 due to his father’s poor health, with the NIA not opposing the extension on humanitarian grounds.
In the assembly polls, AIP had limited success, managing to secure a victory only in its stronghold of Langate, Kupwara, where Rashid’s brother, Sheikh Khursheed, ran after resigning from government service. Rashid had previously won the Langate Assembly seat in 2008 and 2014.
During his campaign, Rashid faced accusations from opponents, including the National Conference, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and People’s Conference, who claimed he was a proxy for the BJP. Rashid firmly denied these allegations, pointing to his significant victory in the Lok Sabha elections, where he won by over 250,000 votes.
Inam-un-Nabi, aide and chief spokesman for AIP, expressed hope for a positive outcome, stating to media,
“We believe Rashid will receive justice. He has done nothing wrong and is being punished for his political beliefs. If he returns to jail, it would signify the death of democracy and a disrespect to the people’s mandate.”
