Kashmiri Leader Rashid Engineer Granted Parole to Take Oath as MP

On Tuesday, Delhi’s Patiala House Court granted two hours of custody parole to jailed Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid, also known as Rashid Engineer, to take oath as a Member of Parliament (MP) on July 5. Rashid was elected from the Baramulla seat as an independent candidate, defeating National Conference leader Omar Abdullah in the recent Lok Sabha polls.

Special Judge Chander Jit Singh granted the custody parole with specific conditions. The judge stated, “Custody parole is allowed for 2 hours or until the conclusion of proceedings, whichever is later. Period excludes travel time.” He added that spouses and children, upon showing identity cards, could be present during the oath-taking. However, Rashid cannot access a phone, interact with anyone except officials, or speak to the media. Family members are also not allowed to take photos or post them.

Earlier, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) consented to Rashid taking the oath on July 5, subject to conditions. The NIA suggested dates from July 5 to 7, but Rashid’s counsel, Vikhyat Oberoi, preferred July 5 as the other dates were holidays. The counsel also requested that Rashid be allowed to prepare his ID card, CGHS card, and open a bank account if needed. Rashid has been in custody for five years in a terror funding case lodged by the NIA.