Delhi court seeks NIA's response on Engineer Rashid's bail application

A Delhi court has sought the National Investigation Agency's response on an application filed by jailed Kashmiri parliamentarian Rashid Engineer seeking regular bail.

Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, was arrested in a 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case. He defeated former chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah in Baramulla in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Additional sessions judge (ASJ) Chander Jit Singh issued notice to the NIA on August 20 and directed it to file its response by August 28.

The court had earlier granted Rashid custody parole to take the oath of office on July 5.

Rashid has been in jail since 2019 after he was charged by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the alleged terror funding case. He is at present lodged in Tihar jail.

The former MLA's name cropped up during the investigation of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was arrested by the NIA for allegedly funding terrorist groups and separatists in the Valley.

The NIA had filed a charge sheet against several individuals, including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin in the case.

Malik was awarded life imprisonment by a trial court in 2022 after he pleaded guilty to the charges.