A Delhi court on Tuesday granted custody parole to jailed Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid from July 24 to August 4, allowing him to attend the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament.
The order was passed by Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh, with a detailed written order awaited.
Background Of Custody Parole Request
Engineer Rashid, the Baramulla MP, has been in Tihar Jail since 2019 after being arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with a 2017 terror funding case.
Rashid had requested either interim bail or custody parole to fulfill his parliamentary duties. Custody parole involves a prisoner being escorted by armed police to and from the location permitted.
Arguments From Both Sides
Rashid’s counsel argued for his client’s right to attend Parliament either through interim bail or, alternatively, custody parole without the burden of travel expenses.
The NIA opposed interim bail and stated that if custody parole is granted, Rashid must bear the cost of travel.
Case Details
Engineer Rashid rose to prominence after defeating former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, he is currently facing trial for alleged involvement in funding separatists and terror outfits in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the NIA’s FIR, Rashid’s name surfaced during the interrogation of businessman and co-accused Zahoor Watali.
After being chargesheeted in October 2019, a special NIA court framed charges against Rashid and others in March 2022 under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war against the government), 124A (sedition) of the IPC, as well as UAPA offenses related to terrorist acts and terror funding.
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