A Delhi court on Thursday recommended the transfer of the terror case against Lok Sabha member, Engineer Rashid to the MP/MLA court.
Additional Sessions Judge, Chander Jit Singh was scheduled to pass the order on Engineer Rashid’s regular bail application on Thursday.
The Additional Sessions Judge instead of passing an order on the application for regular bail, recommended to the District Judge to transfer the case against Engineer Rashid to the MP/MLA court since the accused is now a member of the Lok Sabha.
Engineer Rashid fought the Lok Sabha polls from Tihar Jail.
He won the election against the present Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) Vice President, Omar Abdullah from Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency.
He was arrested by the NIA in 2019 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail.
After winning the Lok Sabha election, Engineer Rashid was granted interim bail on grounds of the old age and ill-health of his father.
The interim bail was later extended till October 27, 2024. He surrendered before the authorities of Tihar Jail on October 28 upon the expiry of his interim bail.
He had simultaneously moved another application for regular bail on which the Additional Sessions Judge at Tis Hazari Court complex in Delhi was to pass the final order today.
Engineer Rashid has represented the north Kashmir Langate Assembly constituency in J&K twice. His brother, Sheikh Khurshid Ahmad won the 2024 Assembly election from Langate Assembly constituency.
Khurshid Ahmad won the Assembly election on the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) ticket.
The AIP was founded by Engineer Rashid in 2013 and he aggressively campaigned for his party candidates during the Assembly polls when he was on interim bail, but the AIP could win only one seat.
(With inputs from IANS)