New Delhi: A Delhi court deferred pronouncing its order on the bail plea of Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid in an alleged terror funding case, saying it has to be decided whether a special court should hear the matter as he is a lawmaker.
Earlier in the day, the Baramulla MP surrendered before the Tihar Jail authorities after the end of his interim bail, prison officials said.
Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh, who had reserved the bail order in the case, underscored he would first consider the issue of jurisdiction and whether or not to transfer the case to a special court meant to try lawmakers, considering Rashid was now an MP.
The judge would consider the issue of the jurisdiction on November 13 while the bail order has been posted on November 19.
“Since we are considering the jurisdiction issue whether the matter will be heard by this court or the designated MP/MLA court of National Investigation Agency (NIA), keep it (bail order) post that,” said the court.
On September 10, the court granted interim bail to Sheikh Abdul Rashid, alias Engineer Rashid, to enable him to campaign for the J&K assembly elections and deferred the order on his regular bail plea.
Rashid’s interim bail was previously extended till October 28 on the grounds of his father’s poor health and after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) didn’t oppose the plea after verifying documents.
The newly-elected MP has been lodged in Tihar jail since 2019 after the NIA arrested him under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the 2017 terror funding case.
Elections to the 90-member J&K Assembly were held in three phases between September 18 and October 1. The National Conference-Congress alliance was declared winner with 49 seats on the day of results on October 8.
