Delhi High Court today sought a response from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on a plea by Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid, who is seeking custody parole to attend the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament.
A bench comprising Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Rajneesh Kumar Gupta has issued a notice to the NIA, directing it to file objections by March 17. The matter will be heard next on March 18. The second half of the Budget Session began yesterday and will conclude on April 4.
Rashid, who won the Lok Sabha election from Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla constituency by defeating Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by over two lakh votes while remained lodged in Tihar Jail, is accused in a terror funding case being probed by the NIA. Rashid is challenging a March 10 order by the special NIA court that denied him custody parole.
Earlier, Justice Vikas Mahajan had granted him custody parole on February 11 and 13 under strict conditions. He was allowed to attend Parliament but was barred from interacting with anyone beyond his official duties or speaking to the media.
