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Baramulla MP Rashid Engineer, currently lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir terror-funding case, has moved the Delhi High Court seeking interim bail to attend the Parliament’s Budget session starting January 31.
Rashid has requested bail from January 31 to April 5, aligning with the Parliamentary schedule. The first phase of the Budget session will run from January 31 to February 13, with the Union Budget set for February 1, while the second phase is scheduled from March 10 to April 5.
Court Proceedings
His legal team confirmed that the Delhi High Court will hear his fresh bail plea along with his previous pending application on Thursday. Earlier, the High Court had issued a notice to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) regarding Rashid’s petition, which sought expedited adjudication on his pending regular bail plea.
The MP turned to the High Court after Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Chander Jit Singh, presiding over NIA cases, declined to rule on his bail application on December 23, stating that his court could only hear miscellaneous applications but not bail petitions.
Previously, the district judge had returned the case to the ASJ court after a request to transfer it to a designated court for lawmakers, citing Rashid’s status as an elected MP. Both Rashid’s counsel and the NIA agreed to keep the matter in the existing court, while the jurisdiction issue remains pending before the Delhi High Court.
Arrest and Charges
Rashid was arrested in August 2019 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case. He recently surrendered at Tihar Jail after his interim bail expired.
During his incarceration, Rashid contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from jail and won by a margin of 204,000 votes, defeating former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
In 2022, the NIA Court at Patiala House framed charges against Rashid and several others, including Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin, Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, Masrat Alam, Zahoor Ahmed Watali, Bitta Karate, and Naeem Khan.
Allegations of Terror Funding
The NIA alleges that various militant organizations, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), collaborated with Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI, to fund and execute attacks on civilians and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the NIA’s investigation, the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) was formed in 1993 to push separatist activities, allegedly using hawala networks and covert channels for terror funding. The agency claims that Hafiz Saeed and other Hurriyat leaders funneled funds to incite violence, attack security forces, burn schools, and damage public property.
The NIA maintains that these activities were aimed at destabilizing the region under the guise of political resistance. With Rashid’s interim bail plea pending, all eyes are now on the Delhi High Court’s decision regarding his participation in the Budget session.
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