Rashid Engineer Interim Bail: Delhi's special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court has granted interim bail to parliamentarian Rashid Engineer in connection with a terror funding case. The bail, which is effective until 2 October 2024, has been granted to allow Rashid to participate in campaigning for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, news agency ANI reported.
Rashid Engineer, who has been incarcerated since 2019, was arrested by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in a 2017 terror funding case. He is currently lodged in Tihar Jail. The NIA's investigation into Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was arrested for allegedly funding terrorist groups and separatists in the Kashmir Valley, led to Rashid's name being implicated in the case.
NIA Opposed Engineer Rashid’s Bail Plea
The NIA opposed Rashid’s bail plea, arguing that he might influence witnesses and tamper with evidence, potentially obstructing justice, news agency IANS reported. During the last hearing, the NIA informed the court that it would soon file a “pruned list” of witnesses, which is expected to “drastically reduce” the trial's duration.
The probe agency contended that there are reasonable grounds to believe the offences Rashid is accused of are prima facie true. The NIA referred to the 2017 case involving Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the Amir of Jamaat-ud-Dawah, and secessionist leaders, including members of the Hurriyat Conference. They are alleged to have colluded with militants from terrorist organisations like Hizbul Mujahideen, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) to raise funds for separatist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
Rashid Engineer won the Lok Sabha election from Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla constituency, defeating his closest rival, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of the National Conference (NC), by over 2.05 lakh votes. His party, the Awami Itihad Party (AIP), has fielded candidates in the J&K assembly elections. Rashid has previously served as an MLA representing the Langate Assembly constituency in north Kashmir twice.