Delhi Court fixes June 18 for Engineer Rashid’s bail hearing

New Delhi/ Srinagar, June 10: A court in Delhi on Monday fixed June 18 for hearing arguments in the interim bail application moved by incarcerated former J&K MLA, Engineer Rashid.

Engineer Rashid, a former MLA, has been lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail since 2019 in the alleged terror funding case.

In the recent Lok Sabha election, he defeated former J&K Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah in the Baramulla constituency by a margin of over 2.20 lakh votes.

He subsequently moved an interim bail application in a Patiala House court so that he could take oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha. On Monday, a Delhi court fixed June 18 to hear arguments on an interim bail application filed by Engineer Rashid.

Additional Sessions Judge, Chander Jit Singh fixed the matter for June 18 after the NIA sought time to file a reply to Rashid’s application.

The NIA submitted on June 7 that the notification for the oath of newly elected members of Parliament of Lok Sabha has not been published yet.

The Judge adjourned the matter, adding that if the notification for the ceremony comes before the next date, the accused may move the court with a plea to expedite the matter.

Rashid had moved the court seeking interim bail, or custody parole in the alternative to take oath and perform his parliamentary functions. He has been in jail since 2019 after he was charged by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention), 1967 Act (UAPA) in the terror funding case.

His name cropped up during the investigation of a Kashmiri businessman, Zahoor Watali, who NIA had arrested for the alleged funding terrorist groups and separatists in Kashmir.