Unable to represent constituency due to court rider, Er Rashid tells HC – Alfaaz – The Words

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir MP Engineer Rashid, accused in alleged terror funding case, on Wednesday informed the Delhi High Court that he was unable to represent his constituency owing to a rider imposed on him to pay daily costs to attend the parliamentary session.

Mr. Rashid sought the modification of an order passed by the court directing him to deposit Rs 4 lakh with the prison authorities as travel expenses for attending Parliament.

During the hearing, the court remarked that when custody parole is granted, it is ordinarily at the cost of the person.

Mr. Rashid’s counsel said the condition was unreasonable because, “he (Rashid) is an elected representative of the people of a parliamentary constituency and unable to represent them due to inability to pay the same”.

“If the condition imposed is such that he is unable to go (to the parliament), we are interfering with the basic elements of democracy in this country,” the counsel claimed adding, “These are conditions imposed to somehow see to it that the voice of my constituency is not heard there”.

The counsel pointed out he was not seeking a review of the order but “only the modification of the conditions”.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on August 12.

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.

He has been lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail since 2019 after the NIA arrested him in the 2017. He was granted interim bail for one month in September last year to campaign in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election.