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Synopsis

The Patiala House Court, on Tuesday, granted interim bail to Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Sheikh Abdul Rashid, commonly known as Engineer Rashid, until October 2, 2024, in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case. 

The court, presided over by Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh, granted this request, allowing Rashid to campaign until the next hearing in October.

Engineer Rashid has been incarcerated since 2019 after his arrest by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in a case related to terror funding from 2017.

Engineer Rashid, who gained prominence by defeating former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla, approached the court seeking temporary relief. He sought interim bail to participate in the campaign for the forthcoming Jammu & Kashmir assembly elections. 

Previously, on July 5, 2024, the court had also granted him custody parole to enable him to take the oath as a Lok Sabha member. 

He was involved after allegations surfaced during the investigation of Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was accused of financing terrorist organizations and separatist activities in Kashmir. Watali’s case implicated several prominent figures, including Yasin Malik, the leader of the Kashmiri separatist movement, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin. Malik, having pled guilty to the charges, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2022.

Inputs: NDTV