A Delhi court granted custody parole to jailed Jammu and Kashmir MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid, alias Engineer Rashid, from July 24 to August 4 to attend the Monsoon session of Parliament, which began on July 21. Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh approved the parole for the Baramulla MP, lodged in Tihar Jail since his 2019 arrest by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in a 2017 terror funding case.

Rashid, who defeated former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls by over 2 lakh votes, sought interim bail or custody parole to fulfill his parliamentary duties. Custody parole involves armed police escorts, with Rashid barred from using phones, the internet, or interacting with media, except for Lok Sabha duties. The NIA opposed interim bail and insisted Rashid cover travel expenses for parole, a condition his counsel, Vikhyat Oberoi, argued against, citing public duty.

The NIA’s case, sparked by businessman Zahoor Watali’s interrogation, alleges Rashid funded separatists and terror groups in J&K. Charges were framed in March 2022 under IPC Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war), 124A (sedition), and UAPA provisions for terrorist acts and funding. The chargesheet also names Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen’s Syed Salahuddin.

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Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) hailed the parole, with spokesperson Inam Un Nabi noting Rashid’s resolve to raise J&K’s statehood restoration in Parliament, a demand echoed by Congress protests on the same day. Previously, Rashid was granted interim bail in September 2024 to campaign in J&K Assembly elections, surrendering on October 27. A detailed court order is awaited.

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