New Delhi: Independent Lok Sabha MP from Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir, Engineer Rashid surrendered at Tihar Jail on Monday after his interim bail in a terror-funding case currently being investigated by the NIA expired. The Patiala House Court in New Delhi has deferred the pronouncement of order on regular bail for him till November 19 this year.
On October 14, the court extended his interim bail on the health grounds of his ailing father and directed him to surrender to Tihar on October 28. The engineer initially got interim bail for campaigning in the recently held Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.
Polls for the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly were conducted in three phases from September 18 to October 1, with results announced on October 8, revealing a decisive victory for the National Conference-Congress alliance, which secured 48 seats.
In 2005, Engineer Rashid was arrested by the Special Operations Group (SOG) in Srinagar for allegedly supporting militants and was held for three months and 17 days. He faced charges of anti-national activities and was incarcerated in Cargo, Humhama, and Raj Bagh prisons. However, the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Srinagar later dropped all charges against him on humanitarian grounds.
In August 2019, Rashid was again arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). During his incarceration, he filed his nomination for the 2024 parliamentary elections from jail and won by a margin of 204,000 votes, defeating former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah