The Delhi High Court on Monday granted two-day custody parole to North Kashmir’s Lok Sabha MP Rashid Engineer in a terror funding case, allowing him to attend the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament.
A bench of Justice Vikas Mahajan permitted Rashid to be present in Parliament on February 11 and 13 under strict conditions. He will be escorted by the police and will not be allowed to use mobile phones, access the internet, or interact with the media. The court also directed that security arrangements inside Parliament be decided in consultation with the secretary general.
Rashid, who has been in jail since 2019 after being booked by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, was elected as the MP from Baramulla in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He approached the High Court seeking interim custody parole, arguing that the NIA court had left him in a legal limbo as it lacked jurisdiction over elected MPs and MLAs.
However, the NIA, represented by senior advocate Sidharth Luthra and advocate Akshai Malik, opposed the plea, stating that Rashid had no inherent right to attend Parliament and had failed to establish a compelling reason for parole. The agency also cited security concerns, emphasizing the logistical challenges of escorting a detainee inside Parliament, where armed personnel are restricted. Despite these objections, the court ruled in favor of Rashid, granting him limited parole under stringent conditions.
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