NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to state its position on jailed Jammu and Kashmir MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid’s plea seeking permission to attend the ongoing Parliament session. Rashid, facing charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), had appealed against a trial court order that denied him custody parole or interim bail.
A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Rajneesh Kumar Gupta issued a notice to the NIA and sought its objections by March 18. Senior advocate N Hariharan, representing Rashid, argued that his constituency remained unrepresented in Parliament, adding that he had previously been granted two-day custody parole for the session.
The NIA’s counsel informed the court that Rashid’s regular bail plea is set for a decision on March 19. Rashid, the Baramulla MP who defeated Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, is accused of funding separatist and terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir. He has been lodged in Tihar Jail since 2019 after his arrest by the NIA in a 2017 terror-funding case. In February, the high court had allowed him a two-day custody parole to attend Parliament.
