Court Extends Engineer Rashid's Interim Bail Till October 28

The court has deferred the order on Rashid's regular bail plea in the case till October 28 in a terror-funding case.

A Delhi court on Tuesday extended the interim bail granted to Jammu and Kashmir Member Parliament (MP) Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, till October 28. The court has deferred the order on Rashid's regular bail plea in the case till October 28 in a terror-funding case.

Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh passed the order on the ground of the health condition of Rashid's father, after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said it had verified the documents and was not opposing the application, the PTI reported.

The counsel for Rashid told the court that this was the last time that his client was seeking an extension. No violation of any of the conditions by his client was alleged by the NIA, the lawyer said.

The Delhi court was to pronounce order on regular bail petition moved Engineer Rashid in a Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in a 2017 terror funding case, today. However, the order was deferred till October 28. 

On September 10, Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh had granted interim bail to Engineer Rashid to enable him to campaign for the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. 

Rashid was lodged in Tihar jail since 2019 after he was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in a 2017 terror funding case.

Assembly Elections to the 90 member Jammua-Kashmir Assembly were held in three phases from September 18 to October 1. The results were declared on October 8 in which the National Conference-Congress alliance attained a clear majority with 48 seats. 

Rashid is Member of Parliament from Baramulla and head of Awami Ittihad Party (AIP). In the Assembly elections, his brother Khurshid Ahmad Sheikh of the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) won the Langate constituency by a slim margin of 1,602 votes.

According to the charges framed against the Baramulla MP, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code, he stands accused of working with separatists and Pakistani operatives to incite disaffection in Kashmir towards India. He is accused of threatening the Jammu and Kashmir police asking them to disobey the orders of their senior officers as those orders amounted to inflicting atrocities on Kashmiris.