The Delhi High Court has scheduled the hearing of jailed MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, also known as Engineer Rashid’s bail plea, for February 24, following the Supreme Court’s clarification regarding the jurisdiction of the NIA court in his terror funding case.
Justice Vikas Mahajan deferred the hearing after the High Court administration informed them that the Supreme Court had ruled that the NIA court could hear Rashid’s bail application. Rashid had earlier approached the High Court, arguing that his case was stuck in a legal vacuum since the NIA court handling his bail plea was not designated as a special MP/MLA court, leaving him without a legal remedy.
Meanwhile, as an interim relief, Rashid was granted two-day custody parole to attend the ongoing Parliament session on February 11 and 13.
The Baramulla MP, who won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections while incarcerated, has been lodged in Tihar Jail since 2019, after being arrested by the NIA under the UAPA in a 2017 terror-funding case. The agency alleges that Rashid financed separatist and terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir.
The issue of which court should hear Rashid’s bail plea arose due to a 2016 Supreme Court ruling, which designated special MP/MLA courts to handle cases involving lawmakers. Rashid had urged the High Court to either expedite his bail plea’s disposal by the NIA court or intervene directly.
In December 2023, Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh had refused to rule on Rashid’s pending bail plea, stating that only a designated MP/MLA court could handle the matter. This led to further confusion until the Supreme Court’s clarification now allows the NIA court to proceed with the bail application.
With the legal deadlock now seemingly resolved, all eyes will be on the February 24 hearing, where Rashid will seek bail in a case that has sparked political and legal debates.
