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Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid has petitioned the Delhi High Court to waive the Rs 1.45 lakh daily travel cost imposed for attending Parliament. He argues financial incapacity, citing previous sessions where no such charges applied.
Baramulla MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, has moved the Delhi High Court, seeking a modification of its earlier order that allowed him to attend Parliament sessions in custody. His petition challenges the condition requiring him to personally bear the hefty travel expenses from Tihar Jail to Parliament—an amount totaling Rs 1.45 lakh per day.
The Chief Justice’s bench refused an urgent listing of the matter, scheduling it for hearing before the designated bench tomorrow. Represented by advocate Vikhyat Oberoi, Rashid has urged the court to remove the financial burden, highlighting that he has been in custody since August 2019 and lacks the means to cover such an exorbitant sum. His family has managed to crowdfund only a single day’s expenses for March 27.
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Rashid's legal team received an email from Tihar Jail authorities on March 26 at 8:21 PM, detailing that he would need to pay Rs 1,45,736 per day for his transportation and security arrangements, amounting to Rs 8,74,416 for six days.
| Delhi | Advocate Vikhyat Oberoi, counsel for MP Engineer Rashid says, "The Delhi High Court has allowed Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid to attend Parliament session from March 26 to April 4 in custody... He (Engineer Rashid) is not allowed to use mobile phone, not allowed… pic.twitter.com/NxBvZmydYa
— ANI (@ANI)The plea argues that no such expenses were imposed when he previously attended Parliament, including his oath-taking in July 2024 and another session in February 2025. Neither the jail authorities nor the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had raised this issue before the courts in the past.
On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court granted Rashid permission to attend Parliament from March 26 to April 4, 2025, while remaining in custody. As per the order, he is to be transported under guard for active session hours and returned to jail afterward. However, the court explicitly stated that he must bear all travel and security costs.
Rashid’s petition comes after his previous plea was rejected by the trial court on March 10. Despite this, he had been allowed to attend Parliament for two days in February. His legal challenge now hinges on whether the court will reconsider the financial burden imposed on him.
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