Delhi news: The Patiala House Court in the national capital today (September 11) deferred the pronouncement of order on parliamentarian Engineer Rashid's regular bail application to October 5 (Saturday).
Rashid, who is an MP from Baramulla, is currently on interim bail, which is set to expire on October 2. As a result, he is expected to be released from Tihar Jail later today.
Delhi court grants interim bail to Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid in terror funding case
A Delhi court on Tuesday (September 10) granted interim bail till October 2 to Lok Sabha MP from Kashmir Engineer Rashid in a terror funding case to enable him to campaign in the upcoming state assembly elections. Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, defeated former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Baramulla.
Elections are scheduled to be held for the 90-member legislative assembly of the union territory in three phases from September 18 to October 1. The results will be declared on October 8. Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh granted the relief to Rashid on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh and one surety of the like amount.
"I am granting interim bail till October 2. He will have to surrender on October 3," the judge said.
The judge also imposed various conditions on him including that he shall not influence the witnesses or the probe. On July 5, the court had granted Rashid custody parole to take the oath as a member of the Lok Sabha.
The court has reserved for tomorrow its order on his regular bail application. Rashid's name cropped up in the case during the investigation of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was arrested by the NIA for allegedly funding terrorist groups and separatists in the Kashmir valley.
The NIA had filed a charge sheet against several people, including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, in the case.
Malik was sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court in 2022 after he pleaded guilty to the charges.
