Delhi Court Allows Jailed MP Engineer Rashid to Vote in Vice-Presidential Poll on Sept 9
Jailed Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid got Delhi Court's nod to cast his Vice-Presidential poll vote, with costs deferred pending Delhi High Court appeals in the NIA terror funding case
Delhi Court allows jailed Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid to vote in VP poll on Sept 9
The Delhi's Patiala House Court has permitted Sheikh Abdul Rashid, the jailed Member of Parliament from Baramulla popularly known as Engineer Rashid, to visit Parliament in custody on September 9 to cast his vote in the Vice-Presidential election.
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Chander Jit Singh allowed Rashid's plea seeking permission to vote.
The order, dated September 4, 2025, clarified that Rashid would not be required to make any immediate payment towards travel expenses. However, he must file an undertaking to bear the cost at a later stage, subject to the outcome of appeals pending before the Delhi High Court.
Advocate Vikhyat Oberoi represented him in the proceedings.
Since voting in the Vice-Presidential election must be done in person, Rashid had approached the Special NIA Court at Patiala House seeking permission to vote despite being lodged in Tihar Jail. The court’s nod now clears the way for him to exercise his rights as an elected MP.
Earlier this year, Rashid was also granted parole for several days to attend the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Rashid, who defeated former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla, is currently facing trial in a terror funding case being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). His name allegedly emerged during the interrogation of businessman Zahoor Watali, a co-accused in the case.
The NIA filed a chargesheet against Rashid in October 2019, and in March 2022, a Special NIA Court framed charges against him and others under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war against the Government of India), and 124A (sedition) of the IPC, along with provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) related to terrorist acts and terror funding.
Notably, on August 18, the High Court had reserved its order on a plea moved by Rashid challenging a trial court’s order imposing costs on him as a condition for granting custody parole to attend Parliament. On August 12, the high court had asked Delhi Police to explain the basis of the travel cost imposed on Engineer Rashid, as a condition for granting him custody parole to attend Parliament.
It is to be noted that on July 31, the Court had issued notice to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on a plea filed by Rashid challenging the trial court’s order framing charges against him in a terror funding case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
In an earlier hearing, the high court had sought a response from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Rashid's plea challenging a trial court order directing him to pay Rs 1.44 lakh per day for travelling to Parliament in custody between July 24 and August 4.
Earlier, on July 22, the Special NIA Court at Patiala House had granted custody parole to Engineer Rashid to enable his attendance during the monsoon session of Parliament, scheduled from July 24 to August 4, subject to the condition that he bears the travel and security expenses himself.
Previously, Engineer Rashid had approached the High Court seeking custody parole to attend the parliament budget session. He argued that he was allowed to campaign for the elections without any objection from the NIA, but was not being allowed to fulfil his constitutional duties as a member of parliament.
Bench: ASJ Chander Jit Singh