On Friday, jailed leader Engineer Rashid, currently held in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, briefly left custody after the Patiala House court granted him a two-hour parole to attend his oath-taking ceremony as a member of Parliament.
The 56-year-old politician, who secured a decisive victory from the Baramulla constituency in Jammu and Kashmir, took oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha.
Engineer Rashid’s electoral triumph marked a significant political upset, as he clinched victory over former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah by a staggering margin of over two lakh votes.
Despite facing legal troubles and arrest by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2019 for alleged involvement in a money laundering case linked to terror funding under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), he clinched victory.
Engineer Rashid, accompanied by close family members including his wife, daughter, sons Asrar Rashid and Abrar Rashid, and brother Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh, participated in the oath-taking ceremony, marking a poignant moment for him and his supporters.
Meanwhile, Attendees, limited to close associates and family, underwent rigorous screening with strict adherence to security protocols, which included the barring of mobile phones or internet access.
Following the ceremony, Engineer Rashid was accompanied back to Tihar Jail under the court’s directives, with strict instructions to refrain from interacting with media or any unauthorized individuals.
His brief release and subsequent return underscored the legal complexities surrounding his parliamentary tenure amidst ongoing legal proceedings.
Engineer Rashid’s induction into Parliament amidst legal constraints highlights the intersection of politics and judiciary, shaping a narrative of political resilience amidst legal adversity.
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