A Delhi court reserved its order on the interim bail plea of Baramulla Member of Parliament Engineer Rashid, who has sought temporary relief to visit his ailing father.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) opposed the plea during the hearing.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court reserved its order and said it will pronounce the decision on April 24.
Er. Rashid faces charges under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war against the government), and 124A (sedition) of IPC and for offences relating to terrorist acts and terror funding under UAPA.
Earlier, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Waheed Para appealed to the government and the courts to consider Rashid’s bail plea on humanitarian grounds, stating that his father is battling for life on ventilator support. He further added, “Compassion must be at the root of justice. When a son is unable to be beside his dying father, it reflects a deeper crisis of humanity. “
AIP chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi said Rashid’s father is “battling for his life and this is an extremely painful moment for the family”. “At such a time, it is only humane that a father gets to see his son and a son is allowed to be beside his ailing father,” he said.
Engineer Rashid won the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 elections, defeating Omar Abdullahby a margin of over 2 lakh votes. His victory is significant as he was previously jailed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and had contested the elections from jail.
Rashid’s win was as a reflection of public discontent with the Indian government’s policies in Jammu and Kashmir.
