Delhi HC Grants Custody Parole To MP Engineer Rashid To Attend Parliament

The Delhi High Court granted custody parole to MP Rashid Engineer to attend the Parliament's budget session.

The Delhi High Court on Monday granted custody parole to Member of Parliament Rashid Engineer to attend the Parliament. Rashid has sought custody parole in order to attend the Parliamentary budget session.

“Custody parole is being granted for 2 days in the peculiar facts of this case… Conditions are imposed,” Justice Vikas Mahajan said while pronouncing the order.

The bail conditions imposed on Rashid includes not using a cellphone or addressing media. The court also ruled that Rashid would be ferried to Lok Sabha and back, and the security inside Parliament would be decided in consultation with the secretary general.

Rashid had moved the high court earlier alleging that he had been left without any remedy after the NIA court dealing with his bail application left him in a limbo post his election to the Lok Sabha last year on account of it not being a special MP/MLA court. As interim relief, he prayed for grant of custody parole. The counsel for Rashid argued, "I represent the largest constituency of J&K. Don't prevent representation when the process of inclusion has started... Don't stifle the voice of the constituency."

The counsel appearing for the NIA opposed the grant of custody parole, saying Rashid had no vested right to attend Parliament and he had not shown any "specific purpose" while seeking the relief. The agency had also raised security concerns as well.

Rashid has been lodged in Tihar jail here since 2019 after the NIA arrested him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the 2017 terror-funding case. He was elected from the Baramulla constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.