Jailed J&K MP Engineer Rashid Can Take Oath: Anti-Terror Agency NIA

New Delhi:

The anti-terror agency NIA has granted consent for jailed Kashmir leader Engineer Abdul Rashid Sheikh to take his oath as an MP. The matter now awaits a final order from a Delhi court, which is expected to rule on the conditions of his oath-taking tomorrow. 

Mr Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, won the Baramulla seat as an Independent candidate in the recent Lok Sabha elections. Mr Rashid has been imprisoned in Tihar Jail since 2019. The NIA charged him in a terror-funding case, preventing him from taking his oath alongside his peers in the 18th Lok Sabha. Despite his detention, Rashid managed to secure a remarkable win, defeating former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by a margin of over 2 lakh votes. 

On Saturday, Additional Sessions Judge Kiran Gupta mandated the NIA to respond to Mr Rashid’s application for interim bail to facilitate his oath-taking. The court directed the anti-terror agency to file its reply by July 1. 

Advocate Vikhyat Oberoi, representing Mr Rashid, argued that his client’s electoral victory signifies the strong democratic mandate given by the people of Baramulla. “He won with a vast majority. People love him and want him to fight for their rights in Parliament democratically,” Mr Oberoi stated. 

Mr Rashid’s legal team drew parallels with a similar case involving AAP MP Sanjay Singh, suggesting that Mr Rashid, who is under court custody, should be allowed to take his oath. They argued that the NIA’s role should be minimal in facilitating this process, referencing the procedural handling of Mr Singh’s case where court custody did not obstruct parliamentary participation.