Jammu and Kashmir MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, has approached the Delhi High Court to challenge the denial of his bail and the framing of charges against him in a high-profile NIA terror funding case.
A division bench led by Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar on Thursday issued a notice to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and scheduled the matter for the next hearing on July 29.
Engineer Rashid, who recently won the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat by defeating former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by a margin of over two lakh votes, remains lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. He was arrested in 2019 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Rashid Challenges Charges with 3-Year Delay
In a separate but related petition, Rashid has also contested the framing of charges against him. However, this plea was filed with a delay of over 1,100 days. The court also issued a notice on Rashid’s application to condone the delay.
While senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing NIA, strongly opposed the condonation—citing legal limits on delay—Rashid’s legal team argued that rigid timelines should not apply in matters involving liberty and fundamental rights.
NIA’s Allegations Against Rashid
According to the NIA, Rashid allegedly used public platforms to promote separatist ideology, supported secessionist narratives, and sought to legitimize the United Jihad Council, a coalition of militant outfits in Kashmir.
The agency links him to the 2017 terror funding case registered against Hafiz Saeed—founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba—and other separatist leaders, who were accused of channeling funds via hawala networks to support terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
The NIA alleges that these funds were facilitated through militant groups including Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, and Lashkar-e-Taiba, all intended to destabilize peace in the region.
Background of the Case
The original case was filed on May 30, 2017, under multiple sections of UAPA, targeting the financial backbone of Kashmir’s separatist movement. Engineer Rashid’s name surfaced during the investigation, and he has been under judicial custody since 2019.
His victory in the 2024 elections reignited debate over custodial rights of elected MPs, with several political leaders and legal experts calling for a fair trial and timely judicial review.