Engineered Rashid Gets Custody Parole to Attend Budget Session

January 24, 2026

In a significant judicial decision, the Patiala House Court in Delhi has granted custody parole to Baramulla Member of Parliament Abdul Rashid Sheikh, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, allowing him to attend the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament. The court’s order enables Rashid to participate in the session, which is scheduled to begin on January 28 and continue until April 2, whenever either house of Parliament is in session.

Engineer Rashid is currently lodged in Tihar Jail, facing charges in a terror funding case registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2017. Despite his incarceration, he contested and won the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 general elections, defeating former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Court Order and Custody Parole Conditions

Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Sharma of the Patiala House Courts passed the order granting custody parole, which will allow Rashid to attend all sittings of the Budget Session of Parliament as long as Parliament is in session. The court specified that he must remain under police custody during his attendance in the House and will be escorted by law enforcement officials.

The matter of who will bear the travel and security expenses associated with his custody parole — including the costs of transporting Rashid from Tihar Jail to the Parliament complex — is currently pending a decision before the Delhi High Court, where related appeals are being considered.

Engineer Rashid’s Legal Background

Engineer Rashid’s legal troubles stem from his arrest in 2019 by the National Investigation Agency over allegations of funding terror and separatist activities in Jammu and Kashmir — a case registered under stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He has been in judicial custody since then.

Despite being imprisoned, Rashid continued to engage in politics and won the Baramulla parliamentary seat as an independent candidate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, securing a decisive victory over major political rivals.

Parliament’s Budget Session and Constitutional Duties

The Budget Session of Parliament is one of the most important legislative sittings of the year, where the Union Budget is presented and debated, and key policies are discussed. Rashid’s attendance under custody parole will enable him to fulfill his constitutional duties as an elected representative, despite his ongoing legal circumstances.

His presence in Parliament is expected to enable him to voice concerns of his constituents from the Baramulla constituency in Jammu and Kashmir — one of the region’s key parliamentary seats.

Ongoing Legal Proceedings

Alongside the custody parole order, Rashid’s legal team has been pursuing related matters in courts, including disputes over the costs associated with parole, which they have challenged before the Delhi High Court. The High Court previously delivered a split verdict on the matter, with the issue now referred to the Chief Justice’s roster for further consideration.