NIA Opposes Bail for MP Rashid Engineer in Terror Funding Case
New Delhi, India – The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has opposed the bail plea of Rashid Engineer, a Member of Parliament, in a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The NIA argued that Rashid might misuse his position to influence witnesses and obstruct justice if granted bail.
The NIA presented a confidential report indicating that Rashid had previously misused telephone facilities in Tihar Central Jail, leading to restrictions on his call privileges. The agency fears he might misuse his freedom similarly if released on bail.
The NIA also claimed that Rashid defended the 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed’s terror activities as a ‘political cause,’ suggesting a troubling alignment with extremist narratives. They asserted that Rashid is involved in a strategy by Pakistani and secessionist groups to portray terrorist acts as political struggles, aiming to incite separatism in Jammu and Kashmir.
Given these concerns, the NIA urged the Patiala House Court of Delhi to reject Rashid’s bail application. The court has reserved its order on the bail plea and is expected to announce its decision on September 4.
Rashid, who recently won the Baramulla seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by defeating former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, seeks bail as his case progresses. The Additional Sessions Judge Chanderjit Singh reserved the order after a detailed in-camera hearing.
Rashid was arrested in connection with a 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case. He had previously been granted a two-hour custody parole on July 5 to take the oath as a Member of Parliament. In 2005, Rashid was arrested by the Special Operations Group (SOG) in Srinagar for allegedly supporting terrorists but was later released on humanitarian grounds.
In August 2019, Rashid was again arrested under the UAPA. Despite his incarceration, he filed his nomination for the 2024 parliamentary elections from jail and won by a margin of 204,000 votes, defeating former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Doubts Revealed
NIA -: NIA stands for National Investigation Agency. It is a government agency in India that investigates serious crimes like terrorism.
Bail -: Bail is when someone who is in jail is allowed to go home while they wait for their trial. They usually have to promise to come back to court.
MP -: MP stands for Member of Parliament. It is a person who has been elected to represent people in the Parliament, which makes laws for the country.
Rashid Engineer -: Rashid Engineer is a person who was elected as an MP from Baramulla. He is involved in a legal case about terror funding.
Terror Funding -: Terror funding means giving money to support terrorist activities. It is illegal and very serious.
UAPA -: UAPA stands for Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. It is a law in India to prevent and punish activities that are against the country, like terrorism.
26/11 -: 26/11 refers to the terrorist attacks that happened in Mumbai on November 26, 2008. Many people were killed and it was a very sad event.
Hafiz Saeed -: Hafiz Saeed is a person who is believed to be behind many terrorist attacks, including the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
Baramulla -: Baramulla is a place in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. It is one of the areas that elects an MP to the Parliament.
Patiala House Court -: Patiala House Court is a court in Delhi, India. It handles many important legal cases.
Reserved its decision -: Reserved its decision means the court has heard all the arguments but has not yet announced what it will decide. The decision will be given later.