Jailed MP Er Rashid gets custody parole to attend Parliament

New Delhi, July 22: A Delhi court on Tuesday granted to jailed Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid custody parole between July 24 and August 4 to attend the monsoon session of Parliament.

Rashid has been lodged in Tihar jail since 2019 after he was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the 2017 terror funding case.

Additional sessions judge Chander Jit Singh granted the custody parole.

Counsel for Rashid, Vikhyat Oberoi, said that the custody parole was granted subject to payment of travel expenses.

The Baramulla MP sought either interim bail or custody parole to carry out his duty as a parliamentarian.

Custody parole entails a prisoner being escorted by armed police personnel to the plea.

Rashid’s counsel had earlier submitted his client should be allowed to attend the parliamentary session by granting interim bail.

In the alternative, Rashid could be allowed custody parole, without payment of travel costs, the advocate added.

The NIA opposed the plea, saying interim bail should not be granted and custody parole could be allowed only after payment of travel expenses.

The Baramulla MP, who defeated Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, is facing trial in a terror funding case with allegations that he funded separatists and terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the NIA’s FIR, Rashid’s name cropped up during the interrogation of businessman and co-accused Zahoor Watali.

After being chargesheeted in October 2019, a special NIA court framed charges against Rashid and others in March 2022 under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war against the government), and 124A (sedition) of IPC and for offences relating to terrorist acts and terror funding under UAPA.