Engineer Rashid can take oath as MP, says NIA; court order tomorrow

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday gave its consent for jailed Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, to take oath as MP on July 5. Additional sessions judge Chander Jit Singh will pass an order on the plea on Tuesday.     

Rashid, an Independent MP from Baramulla who has been arrested in a 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case, had moved the court seeking interim bail, or custody parole in the alternative, to take oath and perform his parliamentary functions. On June 22, a special court in New Delhi had adjourned the matter and asked the NIA to file its response.

On Monday, the NIA's counsel said Rashid's oath taking be subject to some conditions like not speaking to the media. He also said Rashid, who is in Tihar Jail, must complete everything within a day.

Rashid has been in jail since 2019 after he was charged by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for his alleged involvement in a terror funding case.

The former MLA's name cropped up during the investigation of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, arrested by the NIA had arrested for allegedly funding terrorist groups and separatists in the Kashmir valley.

The NIA had filed a chargesheet against several individuals, including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Tayiba founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin in the case. Malik was awarded life imprisonment by a trial court in 2022 after he pleaded guilty to the charges.