The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to present its response to a plea filed by jailed Jammu and Kashmir MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid. He is seeking permission to attend the ongoing session of Parliament.
Rashid, who represents the Baramulla constituency, is currently in Tihar Jail under charges filed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with a 2017 terror funding case. He was arrested by the NIA in 2019 on allegations of funding separatists and terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir.
A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Rajneesh Kumar Gupta issued a notice to the NIA on Rashid’s appeal against a lower court order that denied him custody parole or interim bail. The court has given the NIA until March 18 to submit any objections.
Senior advocate N Hariharan, representing Rashid, argued that the MP's constituency, which accounts for 45% of Jammu and Kashmir’s population, is currently unrepresented in Parliament.
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He urged the court to allow Rashid to attend the session under custody parole, which means he would be escorted by armed police.
The NIA’s lawyer informed the court that Rashid’s regular bail plea is set to be heard by the trial court on March 19.
Earlier, on February 10, the Delhi High Court granted Rashid a two-day custody parole to attend the Parliament session on February 11 and 13. The current session is scheduled to continue until April 4.
The court will hear further arguments on March 18 before making a decision on his plea.
Also Read: Delhi court denies bail to Engineer Rashid
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