Central Counter Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency NIA has opposed Rashid Engineer’s bail plea in a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The agency argues that if granted bail, Engineer, as a Member of Parliament, could misuse his position to influence witnesses and obstruct justice.
Further, it also cited a confidential report indicating that Engineer had previously misused telephone privileges while in Tihar Central Jail, leading to restrictions on his call rights.
Hence, the agency fears he might misuse bail in a similar manner. Moreover, the NIA also pointed to Engineer’s defense of Hafiz Saeed’s terrorism as a ‘political cause,’ suggesting a troubling alignment with extremist views.
It also contends that Engineer is part of a strategy by Pakistani and secessionist groups to frame terrorist acts as political struggles, aiming to incite separatism in Jammu and Kashmir. Given these concerns, the NIA has urged the Patiala House Court in Delhi to reject Engineer’s bail application.
Earlier in August 2019, Rashid was arrested again under UAPA. Despite his incarceration, he filed for the 2024 parliamentary elections from jail and won by a margin of 204,000 votes, defeating former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at Baramulla
Currently, Engineer Rashid is seeking bail while his case progresses. His prior bail application was granted a two-hour custody parole on July 5 to allow him to take the oath as a Member of Parliament.
So far, the court has reserved its order on Engineer Rashid’s bail plea following a detailed in-camera hearing. The decision is expected on September 4.
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(With Inputs From ANI)
