HC grants interim bail to Engineer Rashid for father’s funeral

The Delhi High Court on Monday granted interim bail till June 2 to Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer Rashid, who is lodged in prison in a terror-funding case, following his father’s demise.

A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Madhu Jain said during the interim bail period, Rashid shall always be accompanied by at least two police officials in plainclothes, who shall remain with him from the beginning of the journey from Tihar Jail until his return from Srinagar.

He shall be permitted to visit the burial ground or any other place of worship, but shall not be permitted to move anywhere else from his residence in Srinagar and Langate, the bench ordered.

Rashid sought interim bail on the grounds that his father, who was undergoing treatment at AIIMS, passed away on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday.

Rashid’s counsel, advocate Vikhyat Oberoi, said interim bail was needed to conduct the burial, carry out the customary rites and perform various other ceremonies.

“Accordingly, due to the demise of the appellant’s father, interim bail is granted to the appellant until 2nd June, 2026,” the court ordered.

“Immediately, upon expiry of the bail period, the appellant shall surrender before the concerned Jail Superintendent and shall be brought back to Tihar Jail, Delhi,” it added.

The court further ordered that any meeting between Rashid and persons other than his immediate family members shall take place only in the presence of the police officials and that he could use only one mobile number, which would be given to the investigating officer and kept “switched on” at all times.

It also directed Rashid not to contact any witnesses or their family members or indulge in any criminal or unlawful activity or leave the country without its prior permission.

On April 28, the court had granted him one-week interim bail to enable him to meet his ailing father in Srinagar. The period was subsequently extended till May 10 after Rashid’s father was shifted to AIIMS here for treatment.

Rashid is facing trial in the terror-funding case. He faces allegations that he funded separatists and terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir. He has been lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail since 2019 after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested him in the 2017 case.

After he was named in a chargesheet in October 2019, a special NIA court framed charges against Rashid and others in March 2022 under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war against the government), and 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code and under relevant provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.