Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): Jailed Engineer Rashid, who was elected Member of Parliament from Kashmir's Baramulla Parliamentary seat, may take oath as an MP as the Patiala House Court on Tuesday set his next hearing on June 22 for interim bail.
Rashid's interim bail hearing was listed for today in Patiala House Court in New Delhi where the Additional Sessions Judge Chander Ji set June 22 as the next hearing date and directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to apprise the court whether his oath-taking date is June 24, 25 or 26.
Rashid's lawyer, Viksit Abrol, told reporters that Rashis has filed a plea for interim bail or custodial parole so that he can take an oath. Spokesperson of Awami Itehad Party (AIP) Fridous Baba told ETV Bharat that Rashid has filed an appeal for interim bail or custodial parole for a day so that the AIP president can take oath in the Lok Sabha.
"Our incarcerated president (Engineer Rashid) has not filed an appeal for regular bail," Baba said. The oath-taking ceremony of newly elected members of Parliament is set to take place from June 24. Baba said that they are hopeful that the court will grant interim bail to Rashid for an oath.
Rashid defeated former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah from Baramulla Parliamentary seat by more than 2.70 lakh votes.
The two-time former legislator from the Langate assembly segment was jailed by NIA in August 2019 on allegations of money laundering and militancy funding. For the last five years, Rashid has been incarcerated in Delhi's Tihar Jail while NIA is yet to produce a charge sheet against Rashid.
While in jail, Rashid's election campaign was run by his two college-going sons, Abrar and Asrar. Their poll slogan was "Tihar ka Badla vote se" (Tihar's revenge is a vote).
