Today(10th Sept), Delhi’s NIA court has granted interim bail to Engineer Rashid, effective until October 2, to allow his participation in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. Rashid has been in custody since 2019 in connection with a 2017 terror funding case involving Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali.
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NEW DELHI: Today(10th Sept), Delhi’s special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court granted interim bail to Engineer Rashid, a prominent parliamentarian, in a high-profile terror funding case. The bail, which is effective until October 2, is aimed at enabling Engineer Rashid’s participation in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.
Engineer Rashid has been in custody since 2019 following his arrest by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He was implicated in a 2017 terror funding case involving Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who is accused of financing terrorist groups and separatists in the Kashmir Valley. Rashid is currently held in Tihar Jail.
During the court proceedings, the NIA opposed Rashid’s bail plea, arguing that his release might lead to witness tampering and evidence destruction, potentially obstructing justice. According to a report by news agency IANS, the NIA revealed its plan to file a “pruned list” of witnesses, which is expected to “drastically reduce” the trial duration. The agency contends that there are substantial grounds to believe that the charges against Rashid are prima facie valid.
ALSO READ: [Terror Funding Case] Engineer Rashid’s Bail Rejected By Court
The NIA referred to the 2017 case involving Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Amir of Jamaat-ud-Dawah, and various secessionist leaders, including members of the Hurriyat Conference. These individuals are alleged to have conspired with militants from organizations such as Hizbul Mujahideen, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) to raise funds for separatist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
In response to the court’s decision, Engineer Rashid’s lawyer argued for a three-month interim bail to allow Rashid to campaign in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. If the three-month bail was not feasible, the lawyer requested bail until October 10. The lawyer emphasized Rashid’s intention to fulfill his duties as an elected Member of Parliament (MP) from Baramulla.
Rashid, who previously served as an MLA for the Langate Assembly constituency in north Kashmir, won the Lok Sabha elections from Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla constituency. He defeated his closest rival, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of the National Conference (NC), by over 2.05 lakh votes. Rashid’s political party, the Awami Itihad Party (AIP), has announced candidates for nine seats in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.
The candidates are:
- Abdul Qayoom Mir: Pampore
- Harbaksh Singh: Tral
- Sofi Iqbal: Pulwama
- Molvi Fayaz Wagay: Zainapora in Shopian
- Mohammad Arif Dar: DH Pora in Kulgam
- Suhail Bhat: Devsar in Kulgam
- Hilal Ahmad Malik: Dooru in Anantnag
- Aqib Mushtaq: Anantnag West
- Tawseef Nisar: Anantnag
In the recent Lok Sabha elections, Rashid contested from the Baramulla seat and secured a significant victory over Omar Abdullah. Rashid, running as an Independent, received 4,72,481 votes, defeating Abdullah, who garnered 2,68,339 votes. Sajjad Gani Lone was the second runner-up with 1,73,239 votes. As the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha is set to commence on June 24, Rashid will be required to attend the Parliament for the oath-taking ceremony.