Delhi court extends NIA custody of former J-K MLA Rashid Engineer

A Delhi court on Wednesday extended the National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody of former Jammu and Kashmir MLA Rashid Engineer till August 21 in a terror funding case.

Rashid, who was arrested by the NIA on August 9, was produced before Additional Session Judge Rakesh Syal who extended the remand.

After his arrest, the ex-MLA from Langate in Kupwara district was brought to the national capital by the NIA which is probing his alleged role in the cross-border terror funding case.

On August 10, he was sent to NIA custody till today by Duty Magistrate Dharmendra Singh.

Rashid was questioned by the NIA earlier this month as well as in 2017 when the case was registered.

The agency had said that Pakistani terror outfits -- Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen along with intelligence agency ISI -- provided funds to separatist leaders to foment trouble in the Valley.

A charge sheet was filed in the case last year.

Several separatist leaders including Shabbir Shah, Masrat Alam and Asiya Andrabi are in judicial custody in connection with the case, which involves 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed.