Court reserves verdict on Baramulla MP's plea for interim bail to attend Parliament
Mr. Rashid sought parole to carry out his duty as a parliamentarian. Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh of the Patiala House Court reserved the order on the plea.
Mr. Rashid defeated the incumbent J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Also Read | Delhi HC asks jailed MP Engineer Rashid to deposit ₹4 lakh for going to Parliament in custody
Advocates Aditya Wadhwa, Vikhyat Oberoi, and Nishita Gupta, argued for Mr. Rashid. The counsel stated that Mr. Rashid should be granted interim bail, or alternatively allowed to attend Parliament in custody (being a prisoner), without being required bear the potentially substantial travel costs, as he was seeking to attend Parliament as a matter of public duty, and not in his personal capacity.
The petitioner submitted that the trial court had granted interim bail to him on September 10, 2024 to campaign for the J&K Assembly election, which was extended thrice. The Delhi High Court had allowed him to attend Parliament twice in custody twice, they said, with vide orders issued on February 10, and March 23.
'Hence, he cannot be considered a security threat,' Mr. Rashid's counsel said.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) opposed the plea, and said interim bail should not be granted. The agency also said Mr. Rashid should pay for his own travel expenses, if he was being allowed to attend Parliament in custody.
Lodged in Tihar jail since 2019, Mr. Rashid was arrested by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in a 2017 terror funding case. According to the NIA's First Information Report, Mr. Rashid's name had come up during the interrogation of businessman and co-accused Zahoor Watali.
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