When can Rashid take oath as MP, court asks NIA
The court’s direction to the agency came during the hearing of an interim bail plea filed by Mr. Rashid, who won the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir, seeking bail to take oath in the Parliament
A Delhi court on June 18 directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to file its reply on the date Sheikh Abdul Rashid, alias Engineer Rashid, has to take oath as a parliamentarian.
The court’s directions came during the hearing of an interim bail plea filed by Mr. Rashid, who won the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir, seeking bail to take oath in the Parliament.
Mr. Rashid was arrested by the NIA in 2016 in a Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case and is lodged in Tihar jail at present.
Speaking on the development, advocate Vikhyat Oberoi, who represented Mr. Rashid said, “The judge has directed the NIA to file response because there are three dates for oath ceremony. The NIA has been directed to file a reply as to on which date Rashid has to take oath.”
Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh then adjourned the matter for further hearing on June 22.
The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will be held from June 24 to July 3. The session will witness oath/affirmation of the newly elected members of the Lok Sabha, election of the Speaker, address of the President of India and the discussion thereon, a communique from the government has said.
Mr. Rashid successfully contested the recently held general elections as an Independent candidate. He defeated National Conference leader and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah from Baramulla.
In jail since 2019, Mr. Rashid was charged by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention), 1967 Act in the alleged terror funding case. His name cropped up when the NIA was investigating a terror funding case pertaining to Kashmir-based businessman Zahoor Watali. He was allegedly funding terrorist groups and separatists in the valley.
The NIA had filed a chargesheet against several people, including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, in the matter. Mr. Malik was awarded life imprisonment by a trial court in 2022 after he pleaded guilty to the charges.
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