A Delhi court granted Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid permission to attend the Parliament budget session beginning January 28, his counsel confirmed. The approval is subject to conditions and comes as his appeal remains pending before Delhi High Court.
A Delhi court granted Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid permission to attend the upcoming Parliament budget session starting January 28, as confirmed by his counsel.
Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Sharma approved the request under previously established conditions, specifically noting that travel expenses would be contingent upon the outcome of an appeal currently pending before the Delhi High Court.
Rashid will attend the sessions while in custody, as stated by his advocate, Vikhyat Oberoi.
After reviewing arguments from both parties, the court noted that the earlier judicial arrangement allowing Rashid to participate in parliamentary proceedings was made after careful consideration and remains valid.
The court found no reason to deny permission for attending the upcoming budget session, especially since the request was limited to the same terms and conditions imposed previously.
Consequently, the application was granted, with the court emphasizing that travel costs and related expenses would depend on the final judgment of the pending appeal before the Delhi High Court.
Rashid, an elected legislator, is currently embroiled in criminal proceedings and has been in judicial custody at Tihar jail since 2019 due to an eight-year-old terror funding case.
He was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with a National Investigation Agency (NIA) case filed in 2017 against Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), as well as other “secessionist and separatist” leaders.
A special NIA court in Delhi framed charges against him in March 2022. He previously sought temporary permission to attend parliamentary sessions to fulfill his constitutional and legislative responsibilities. While the court had previously granted limited relief for his participation in parliamentary proceedings, strict conditions were imposed to maintain the integrity of the ongoing criminal process and to ensure security.
With the budget session approaching on January 28, 2026, Rashid again petitioned the trial court for an extension of the previous arrangement throughout the session.
His lawyers, Vikhyat Oberoi, Nishita Gupta, Shivam Prakash, and Ravi Sharma, asserted that attending the budget session was not merely a matter of personal convenience but a constitutional duty stemming from his role as an elected representative.
They argued that since the court had previously deemed it appropriate to grant similar permissions and that no new circumstances warranted a different conclusion, the request should be fulfilled.
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The defense highlighted that Rashid had adhered to all previous court directions, ensuring that adequate precautions were in place to prevent any misuse of his liberty.
Regarding the issue of expenses, the counsel sought clarity on travel arrangements, acknowledging that the matter was already under review by the high court. In opposition, the prosecution urged the court to maintain strict adherence to earlier orders while granting any permissions.
They pointed out that since an appeal involving related aspects, including expenses, was pending before the Delhi High Court, the trial court should refrain from pre-empting that decision.
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