Engineer Rashid's interim bail plea: Court reserves order for April 24

Patiala house court reserved its order on Engineer Rashid's interim bail plea to meet his ailing father. While the NIA opposed the plea, it agreed to custody parole. The court will pronounce the order on April 24.

The Patiala house court reserved an order on the interim bail plea of Abdul Rashid Sheikh alias Engineer Rashid. He is seeking interim bail to meet his ailing father, who is on a ventilator. Special Judge (NIA) Prashant Sharma reserved the order on the interim bail plea after hearing the submissions by counsel for accsued and Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) for NIA. The court will pronounce the order on April 24

Arguments in Court

NIA's SPP Gautam Khazanchi opposed the interim bail plea based on a secret report. However, the NIA said that Rashid may be granted custody parole. The agency said that they have no problem if the accused is granted custody parole.

Advocate Vikhyat Oberoi, counsel for Abdul Rashid Sheikh, opposed the submissions of NIA, saying that the secret report is not admissible unless it is supplied to the accsued. The counsel also said that Abdul Rashid Sheikh's father is on a ventilator. Sheikh was granted interim bail to contest the election. But his interim bail is being opposed when his father is seriously ill. He also said that it is a political case, and Abdul Rashid Sheikh was arrested immediately after the abrogation of Article 370.

Background of the Bail Plea

The Court on April 20 granted time to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to file a reply on Baramulla MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh's plea for interim bail. Sheikh has sought interim bail to meet his ailing father.

Baramulla MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh alias Rashid Engineer has moved the court seeking interim bail to meet his ailing father. His father is seriously ill and hospitalised.

Rashid Engineer is in judicial custody in Tihar Jail in connection with a terror funding case lodged by the NIA. Advocate Vikhyat Oberoi alongwith Nishita Gupta, appeared for Rashid Engineer.

On April 17, it was argued that his father is seriously ill and hospitalised. He is praying for a one-month interim bail. On the other hand, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Gautam Khazanchi had opposed the plea for interim on various grounds. However, he submitted that Rashid Engineer may be granted custody parole to meet his father. His regular bail application has been pending before the High court since long. Earlier, he was granted custody parole to participate in Lok Sabha sessions. (ANI)

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