Patiala House Court has reserved its decision on MP Rashid Engineer’s interim bail plea. He is an accused in a terror funding case. Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jeet Singh will announce the verdict on March 7. Rashid Engineer argued that he must attend the Parliament session to represent his constituents. The session’s second phase runs from March 10 to April 4.
Earlier, the Delhi High Court granted him two days of custody parole. The Patiala House Court has also been asked to decide his regular bail plea soon.
NIA’s Allegations Against Rashid Engineer
The NIA linked Rashid Engineer to a terror funding case after interrogating Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali. The agency arrested Watali for allegedly funding terrorist groups and separatists in Jammu and Kashmir.
In March 2022, the court framed charges against Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin, Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah, and Rashid Engineer. The NIA claims Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizbul Mujahideen, JKLF, and Jaish-e-Mohammed carried out attacks in Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan’s ISI support. The All Party Hurriyat Conference, formed in 1993, allegedly promoted separatist activities.
The NIA says foreign funds were routed through businessmen like Watali to finance terrorism. The court’s upcoming decision will determine whether Rashid Engineer can attend the Parliament session while facing serious charges.