The Delhi High Court on Monday granted interim bail to Baramulla MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, till June 2 to allow him to attend the funeral and final rites of his father, who passed away earlier in the day at AIIMS Delhi.
The plea seeking temporary release was mentioned before a Division Bench comprising Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Rajneesh Kumar Gupta. Taking note of the circumstances, the Court permitted Rashid’s release for two weeks.
While granting relief, the Bench directed that the jailed MP must remain accompanied by at least two police personnel in plain clothes throughout the interim bail period.
Engineer Rashid is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in connection with a terror funding case being investigated under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He was arrested in 2019 and has remained in custody since then.
The Baramulla MP had earlier secured interim bail on April 28 to visit his ailing father in Srinagar. After his father’s health deteriorated, he was shifted to AIIMS Delhi, following which the High Court modified the bail conditions on May 5 to permit Rashid to meet him in the national capital.
His father’s condition worsened further during the night of May 17 and 18, leading to his demise on Monday morning. The latest order allows Rashid to participate in the burial and post-funeral rituals.
Engineer Rashid emerged as a major political figure in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections after defeating Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah from the Baramulla constituency by a margin exceeding two lakh votes.
In March 2022, a special NIA court framed charges against him under multiple provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the UAPA, including allegations related to criminal conspiracy, terror funding and waging war against the State. Rashid has challenged the charges before the Delhi High Court.
Advocates Vikhyat Oberoi, Nishita Gupta, Ravi Sharma and Shivam Prakash represented Rashid during the hearing.
