No interim bail or parole for Sheikh Abdul Rashid

PTI

New Delhi, June 22

Newly elected Lok Sabha MP from North Kashmir Sheikh Abdul Rashid, who was arrested in a 2017 terror funding case, failed to secure interim bail on Saturday, while a special court here adjourned the matter till July 1.

The court asked the NIA to file a response to his plea and also inform the court about when he could take oath as an MP. The newly elected Lok Sabha members are scheduled to take oath on June 24, 25 and 26.

During the hearing, Rashid’s counsel sought custody parole for him to take oath and cited a recent order where AAP leader Sanjay Singh, an accused in the alleged Delhi excise scam, was allowed identical relief to take oath as a Rajya Sabha MP.

Additional Sessions Judge Kiran Gupta, however, observed that the charges levelled against Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, were on a different footing from those faced by the AAP leader.

The NIA submitted that it was in the process of consulting Parliament and Tihar Jail authorities “regarding the prayer sought by the applicant for his oath ceremony”.

Rashid’s counsel Vikhyat Oberoi said, “He won the poll with a vast majority. People want him to fight in Parliament democratically.”

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