New Delhi, Mar 03 :
Delhi’s Patiala House Court has issued a notice to the NIA while hearing the petition of the terror funding case accused and MP Engineer Rashid seeking interim bail to participate in the Budget session of the Parliament. Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jeet Singh scheduled the matter for March 5.
The petition states that Engineer Rashid is an MP and he needs to participate in the Parliament session to fulfill his responsibility towards the people who have elected him. The second phase of the budget session of Parliament is starting from March 10 and end on April 4.
Earlier, the Delhi High Court had allowed Rashid to be released on custody parole for two days to participate in the Parliament session. Rashid withdrew the bail petition filed in the High Court on February 24. The High Court had directed the Special NIA Court of Patiala House Court to hear and decide on Engineer Rashid’s bail petition as soon as possible. After the clarification received from the Supreme Court, the registry of the Delhi High Court had said that the Special NIA Court of Patiala House Court can hear the case registered against Rashid.
won the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 by defeating Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by about one lakh votes on the Baramulla seat. He was arrested by the NIA in 2016 on terror funding charges. On March 16, 2022, the Patiala House Court had ordered framing of charges against Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin, Yasin Malik, Shabbir Shah and Masrat Alam, Rashid, Zahoor Ahmed Watali, Bitta Karate, Aftab Ahmed Shah, Avtar Ahmed Shah, Naeem Khan, Bashir Ahmed Butt alias Peer Saifullah and other accused.
According to the NIA, organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizbul Mujahideen, JKLF, Jaish-e-Mohammed, in collaboration with Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI, carried out attacks and violence on civilians and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. In 1993, the Hurriyat Conference was established.
According to the NIA, Hafiz Saeed, along with the leaders of the Hurriyat Conference, allegedly transacted funds through hawala and other channels to carry out terrorist activities. They allegedly used this money to spread unrest in the valley, attack security forces, burn schools and damage public property, it said. The NIA registered a case under sections 120B, 121, 121A of the Indian Penal Code and sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39 and 40 of the UAPA against the accused.
