New Delhi: The Patiala House Court in Delhi on Tuesday rejected an application seeking a decision on the regular bail plea of Engineer Rashid, Member of Parliament, in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case.
The court cleared that at this stage, it is only empowered to address miscellaneous applications and not to rule on the regular bail petition.
Recently, the district judge returned the case to the ASJ court after a request from the ASJ for the matter to be transferred to a designated court for lawmakers, given Engineer Rashid’s status as an MP.
This transfer request was made with the consent of both the accused and the prosecuting agency, the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The district judge’s decision came after noting that the issue of court jurisdiction was still pending before the Delhi High Court. Until the High Court rules on jurisdiction, the ASJ court will continue to hear the case.
Both Rashid’s counsel and the NIA had agreed to keep the matter in the current court. In addition to the NIA’s case, the special judge had suggested moving a related money laundering case and Rashid’s regular bail application to the court designated for lawmakers.
Engineer Rashid, an Independent Lok Sabha MP from Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, has recently surrendered at Tihar Jail after his interim bail expired. This is related to the Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case currently being investigated by the NIA.