New Delhi: The Special NIA Court, Patiala House, New Delhi will hear the bail plea of Lok Sabha member from Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla Sheikh Abdul Rashid, alias Engineer Rashid, on February 24, following Supreme Court's clarification that the case falls under its jurisdiction.
The Delhi High Court Registry informed the court that the Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Special NIA Court to proceed with the terror funding case against Rashid. The clarification from Supreme Court was required as a 2016 judgment of the apex court designates MP/MLA court to solely try cases involving MP/MLAs.
Rashid had been lodged in Tihar jail since 2019 following arrest by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the 2017 terror funding case. On Monday (February 10), the High Court granted Rashid a two-day custody parole (Feb 11 and 13) to attend the ongoing budget session of the Parliament which is scheduled to run till April 4.
Rashid, who had won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by defeating former chief minister Omar Abdullah, had secured an interim bail last year to campaign during the Jammu and Kashmir elections. On September 10, 2024, the Patiala House Court had granted him interim bail till October 2, 2024, for poll campaigning. Since then, the court had extended Engineer Rashid's interim bail twice.
Reportedly on March 16, 2022, the Patiala House Court had ordered framing of charges against Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin, Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah and Masrat Alam, Engineer Rashid, Zahoor Ahmed Watali, Bitta Karate, Aftab Ahmed Shah, Avtar Ahmed Shah, Naeem Khan, Bashir Ahmed Butt alias Peer Saifullah and other accused in the terror funding case. According to the NIA, with the support of Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI, organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizbul Mujahideen, JKLF, and Jaish-e-Mohammed perpetrated attacks and violence on civilians and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, and Rashid was one of the accused associated with the terror organisations.
In 1993, the All Party Hurriyat Conference was established to carry out separatist activities. NIA stated that Hafiz Saeed, along with the leaders of Hurriyat Conference, did transactions through hawala and other channels to carry out terrorist activities. They used this money to spread unrest in the valley, attack security forces, burn schools and damage public property. After receiving information, NIA registered a case under sections 120B, 121, 121A of Indian Penal Code and sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39 and 40 of UAPA.
