New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday dismissed an interim bail plea of jailed Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid to meet his ailing father.
Special Judge Prashant Sharma rejected the plea seeking the relief.
Engineer had sought interim bail, saying he needed to meet his critically ill father who had been hospitalised and was on a ventilator.
The National Investigating Agency (NIA) had opposed the plea, saying he could meet his father even on a custody parole.
Custody parole entails a prisoner being escorted by armed police personnel to his place of visit.
The Baramulla MP, who defeated Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, is facing trial in a terror funding case with allegations that he funded separatists and terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir.
He has been lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail since 2019 after the NIA arrested him in the 2017 terror-funding case.
AIP condemns denial of interim bail to its chief
The Awami Itehaad Party (AIP) on Friday said the dismissal of the interim bail plea of its chief Sheikh Abdul Rashid (Engineer Rashid), exposes a disturbing lack of compassion and raises serious questions about the “fairness” of the system.
In a statement, AIP MLA from Langate and Rashid’s brother Sheikh Khursheed said denying a son the chance to see his critically ill father in his final moments goes against the basic principles of justice and humanity.
“Denial of interim bail to Er Rashid, even as his father lies on the deathbed waiting for the last glimpse of his incarcerated son, is nothing short of inhuman. What we are witnessing is not justice, but a system that appears selective and devoid of compassion,” Khursheed said.
“If you are a Kashmiri Muslim, even being a member of Parliament representing millions does not seem to matter,” he said.
“This is not just about one individual but the story of 100s of Kashmiris in jails and it is about the conscience,” he claimed.
