J&K jailed MP Rashid Engineer moves Delhi HC for bail in terror case

Jammu and Kashmir MP Rashid Engineer on Wednesday moved the Delhi High Court over bail in a terror-funding case.

The matter would come up on January 23 before Justice Vikas Mahajan.

In his plea, Rashid prayed for an expeditious ruling on the issue of his release on bail, which is currently pending before a trial court. He is also believed to have said the matter could be decided by the high court.

"The bail application for Engineer Rashid has been filed and is listed for hearing in the Delhi High Court on January 23," Inam in Nabi, the chief spokesman of Awami Ittehad Party said on Wednesday.

Nabi said the party would continue to make efforts to ensure justice for the jailed MP.

"Engineer Rashid has always been a voice for the marginalised and a strong advocate for the democratic aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. His continued incarceration is deeply concerning and a disservice to the principles of democracy and justice," said the spokesman.

On December 24 last year, additional sessions judge Chander Jit Singh dismissed Rashid's plea urging him to pronounce the verdict on his pending bail application.

The trial judge said at the present stage he could only decide the miscellaneous application and not the regular bail plea.

The case was sent back to the ASJ by the district judge for hearing.

The ASJ court requested the district judge to transfer the case to a court designated to try lawmakers since Rashid was now an MP.

His counsel and the NIA had jointly sought the matter to remain in the trial court already hearing it.

Apart from the NIA case, the ASJ also recommended transferring a connected money laundering case and Rashid's regular bail plea to the court meant for lawmakers.

Rashid was elected from the Baramulla constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and has been lodged in Tihar Jail since 2019 after the NIA arrested him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the 2017 terror-funding case.

Cases of the NIA and the ED also involve Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba chief and 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, Hizbul Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin and others.

The ED filed a money laundering case against the accused persons on the basis of the NIA's FIR, which accused them of "conspiring to wage war against the government" and fomenting trouble in the Kashmir Valley.