Delhi Court Seeks Response Of NIA On Engineer Rashid’s Bail Plea

A Delhi court has requested the National Investigation Agency to respond to a bail application filed by jailed Kashmiri parliamentarian Sheikh Abdul Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid.

Rashid, who was arrested in connection with a 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case, is currently seeking regular bail.

Engineer Rashid, who defeated former chief minister Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Baramulla, has been in jail since 2019. He was charged by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and is currently held in Tihar jail.

The court, presided over by Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Chander Jit Singh, issued a notice to the NIA on August 20, directing the agency to file its response by August 28. Earlier, Rashid was granted custody parole to take the oath of office on July 5.

Rashid’s involvement in the case surfaced during the investigation of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was arrested for allegedly funding terrorist groups and separatists in the Kashmir Valley.

The NIA has also filed a charge sheet against several individuals, including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin. Yasin Malik was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2022 after pleading guilty to the charges.

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