NIA gives consent for Engineer Rashid’s oath-taking as MP

New Delhi/Srinagar, July 1: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday gave consent for incarcerated Engineer Rashid to take oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha on July 5.

The development came to the surface during the court proceedings when the Patiala House Court in Delhi was hearing the incarcerated Engineer Rashid’s application for a grant of interim bail or custody parole so that he could be sworn in as a member of the Lok Sabha.

The NIA counsel told the court that the agency has no objection if the court allows Engineer Rashid to be sworn in as the Lok Sabha member. The counsel, however, pleaded that certain restrictions like no media interaction be imposed on Engineer Rashid if he is allowed to be sworn in by the court. The court is likely to announce its verdict on Tuesday.

Engineer Rashid defeated former Chief Minister and vice president of National Conference (NC), Omar Abdullah and Sajad Gani Lone of Peoples Conference (PC) in north Kashmir's Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency.

Rashid, a 56-year-old former MLA from the Langate assembly segment in Kupwara district, was arrested in 2019 and charged by the NIA under UAPA.

He was the first mainstream politician to be booked under the anti-terror law.  He has been lodged in the Tihar jail since August 9, 2019, on charges of alleged terror financing.

Rashid can take oath as an MP since he is not convicted yet, but has to go back to jail once