New Delhi, May 5: The Delhi High Court has made a modification to its earlier interim bail order for incarcerated Baramulla MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, also known as Engineer Rashid. The court has now permitted him to visit his father at AIIMS.
Initially, on April 28, the court granted Engineer Rashid a week of interim bail to meet his ailing father in Srinagar. However, the situation changed when his father was admitted to AIIMS in Delhi. Following this, Rashid filed a petition requesting permission to meet his father in Delhi.
During the hearing, senior advocate N. Hariharan presented a local address for a rented accommodation on behalf of Rashid. However, the court expressed skepticism regarding this new address, stating that it would not be appropriate to investigate it at this stage, especially since it was not associated with any relatives or acquaintances.
Consequently, the court slightly altered its previous order. Engineer Rashid will not have unrestricted freedom outside of jail; instead, he is allowed to meet his father daily. The court specified that he can visit from 8 AM to 8 PM until May 10, but these meetings will occur under security arrangements rather than outside the jail.
The court also mandated that at least two plainclothes police officers must accompany Rashid during these visits to ensure security and prevent any irregularities.
Additionally, the court clarified that all previously imposed conditions remain in effect. This relief is granted only for a limited time and under special circumstances. Once the specified period concludes, Engineer Rashid must return to jail, where he is currently held at Tihar Jail.
Notably, Engineer Rashid was elected as an MP from the Baramulla constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, he has been imprisoned since 2019. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has charged him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with an alleged terror funding case from 2017.
His regular bail application was rejected by the trial court on March 21, 2025. Following this, he sought interim bail based on his father’s health, but this request was also denied on April 24, citing allegations of influencing witnesses, including a protected witness.
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