Delhi Court set to hear Engineer Rashid’s bail plea today

New Delhi, Aug 28: A Delhi court is set to hear a bail application on August 28 filed by Lok Sabha MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid, who has been in jail since 2019 in connection with a 2017 Jammu Kashmir terror funding case.

Rashid, who defeated former Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from the Baramulla constituency, is seeking regular bail.

The court, presided by Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh, issued a notice to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on August 20, directing the agency to respond to Rashid’s plea by August 28. Rashid had earlier been granted custody parole to take his oath of office on July 5.

Rashid has been incarcerated under charges filed by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, following an investigation that linked him to Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was arrested for allegedly financing terrorist groups and separatists in Kashmir.

The NIA’s charge sheet in the case also includes several high-profile figures such as Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin.

Yasin Malik was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2022 after pleading guilty to the charges against him.