File picture of Lok Sabha MP from Baramulla Sheikh Abdul Rashid.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
The Delhi High Court on Monday (February 24, 2025) asked the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court to expeditiously decide the bail plea of Member of Parliament from Baramulla, Engineer Rashid, who is currently in jail in a terror funding case.
A Bench of Justice Vikas Mahajan said, “The ASJ-03, Patiala House Court is requested to dispose of the bail application of the petitioner expeditiously.”
The observation was made during the bail hearing of Mr. Rashid that alleged that he was forced to approach the High Court as there was no remedy available to him as the NIA court left him in limbo post his becoming an MP.
The High Court noted that a direction was passed by it is just on the administrative side and further clarified that the special NIA court would continue to hear the matter.
Mr. Rashid’s counsel then sought to withdraw the plea from the High Court.
Facing trial in a terror funding case, Mr. Rashid is lodged in Tihar Jail since 2019 after the NIA arrested him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He won general election last year. Since then, he had applied for bail, first to take oath as an MP and then to participate in the Parliament proceedings.
This court, earlier this month, granted a two-day custody parole to attend the ongoing Parliament session on February 11 and 13.
The NIA court, adjudicating Mr. Rashid’s case, in December last year said it could only decide his miscellaneous application but not his regular bail application. The lower court had also written to the District Judge requesting to transfer the UAPA case to a MP/MLA designated court designated after Mr. Rashid became an MP.
Published – February 24, 2025 07:42 pm IST