The Patiala House Court has denied further extension of interim bail for Rashid Engineer, Member of Parliament from Baramulla and alleged accused in a terror funding case. Following the decision, Rashid Engineer surrendered in court. The court will decide on his regular bail plea on November 19.
Rashid, also known as Sheikh Abdul Rashid, initially received interim bail for campaigning in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. He had previously been granted extensions until October 13, but this time, the court refused to extend the interim relief further.
Long-Standing Case Involving High-Profile Accusations
Rashid Engineer has been in jail since 2019 following his arrest by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act related to the 2017 terror funding case. His alleged involvement emerged during the interrogation of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was arrested for allegedly financing terrorist groups and separatist activities in Kashmir.
In March 2022, Patiala House Court ordered charges framed against Rashid Engineer and others, including Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin, Yasin Malik, and Shabbir Shah. The NIA claims these individuals, with the support of Pakistan’s ISI, aided violent acts in Jammu and Kashmir through terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizbul Mujahideen, and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Accusations of ISI-Backed Activities
According to NIA findings, organizations supported by ISI allegedly coordinated attacks on civilians and security forces. The 1993 establishment of the All Party Hurriyat Conference reportedly furthered separatist agendas in the region. Rashid, who won the Baramulla seat by defeating former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the 2024 elections, awaits the court’s decision on his regular bail application next month.
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