SRINAGAR: A Delhi court on Thursday permitted jailed Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid to attend the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament under police custody, allowing him to participate in the proceedings from July 20 to August 13.
Special NIA Judge Prashant Sharma granted the relief while hearing Rashid’s plea seeking custody parole for the duration of the session. Under custody parole, the accused remains in judicial custody and is escorted by armed police personnel during travel and attendance.
The proceedings were held in camera.
Rashid, the Member of Parliament from Baramulla, has been lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail since 2019 after being arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror-funding case.
According to the prosecution, Rashid is accused of financing separatist and terrorist activities in the Union Territory. He was named in the NIA chargesheet filed in October 2019.
In March 2022, the special NIA court framed charges against Rashid and several co-accused under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including criminal conspiracy (Section 120B), waging war against the Government of India (Section 121) and sedition (Section 124A), besides offences related to terrorist acts and terror funding under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The Monsoon Session of Parliament is scheduled to commence on July 20 and conclude on August 13. The court’s order enables Rashid to attend the session while remaining under strict security escort.
