SRINAGAR: A special NIA court at Patiala House on Tuesday reserved its order on a plea seeking permission for Engineer Abdul Rashid Sheikh, Member of Parliament from Baramulla and President of the Awami Itihaad Party (AIP), to attend the upcoming session of Parliament beginning July 21.
The plea, filed on behalf of the jailed MP, requested either interim bail or permission to participate in the session under custody. Rashid’s legal team, comprising advocates Aditya Wadhwa, Vikhyat Oberoi, and Nishita Gupta, argued that the request was made solely in fulfilment of his constitutional obligations and not for personal reasons.
The counsel cited precedents in Rashid’s case, including an interim bail granted by the trial court in September 2024 for election campaigning, which was extended three times. They also referred to earlier permissions granted by the Delhi High Court that allowed Rashid to attend Parliament proceedings in custody on two occasions—February 10 and March 25, 2025—both of which he complied with.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), however, opposed the plea. It objected to interim bail and stated that if attendance in custody is permitted, Rashid should bear the cost of travel and security arrangements. His lawyers countered this, arguing that such an imposition would undermine the public nature of his duties as an elected representative.
AIP Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi confirmed that the court has now reserved its order, which is expected to be delivered on July 21, the first day of the upcoming Parliament session.
Rashid, who won the Baramulla seat in the 2024 general elections while in custody, remains under detention in connection with an alleged terror funding case being investigated by the NIA.
