New Delhi: A court here on Tuesday granted two hours of custodial parole to Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid to take oath as Lok Sabha MP on July 5.
Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid, was elected as an independent candidate from the Baramulla seat in the recent Lok Sabha elections, defeating National Conference leader Omar Abdullah.
He was arrested in the 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case.
Rashid had moved the court seeking interim bail or custodial parole as an alternative to take oath and perform his parliamentary duties.
Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jeet Singh allowed him custodial parole for two hours on July 5 to enable him to take the oath.
Awaiting detailed order.
On Monday, the NIA counsel did not oppose Rashid's plea and said his swearing-in should be subject to certain conditions such as not speaking to the media and completing all formalities 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. He is currently lodged in Tihar Jail.
The former MLA's name had cropped up during the investigation of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was arrested by the NIA for allegedly funding terrorist groups and separatists in the Kashmir Valley.
The NIA had filed a charge sheet in the case against several people, including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin. Malik was sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court in 2022 after he was convicted of the charges.
Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid, was elected as an independent candidate from the Baramulla seat in the recent Lok Sabha elections, defeating National Conference leader Omar Abdullah.
He was arrested in the 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case.
Rashid had moved the court seeking interim bail or custodial parole as an alternative to take oath and perform his parliamentary duties.
Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jeet Singh allowed him custodial parole for two hours on July 5 to enable him to take the oath.
Awaiting detailed order.
On Monday, the NIA counsel did not oppose Rashid's plea and said his swearing-in should be subject to certain conditions such as not speaking to the media and completing all formalities 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. He is currently lodged in Tihar Jail.
The former MLA's name had cropped up during the investigation of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was arrested by the NIA for allegedly funding terrorist groups and separatists in the Kashmir Valley.
The NIA had filed a charge sheet in the case against several people, including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin. Malik was sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court in 2022 after he was convicted of the charges.
