Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid Allegedly Attacked by Transgender Inmates in Tihar Jail, Party Calls It a “Miraculous Escape”

New Delhi: Baramulla’s newly elected MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, was reportedly assaulted inside Delhi’s Tihar Jail on Friday. Media reports suggest that the clash took place between Rashid and transgender inmates housed with him in Jail Number 3, leaving him with minor injuries.

While some outlets hinted at a planned attack, Tihar Jail authorities categorically denied any claims of a murder conspiracy. Officials clarified that the matter stemmed from a week-old argument and not from any larger plot.

According to NDTV, Rashid’s party — the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Ittehad Party — alleged that the inmates were being “encouraged to provoke, attack and create a hostile environment” around him. His lawyer described the incident as nothing short of a “miraculous escape.”

Rashid has been lodged in Tihar since 2019 after being arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a 2017 terror-funding case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The separatist-turned-politician has had a long political journey. Born in Langate, he joined Abdul Ghani Lone’s People’s Conference in 1978, later earning degrees in science and civil engineering. Before entering politics, he served as an engineer with the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation.

Rashid’s rise in electoral politics has been dramatic. After representing Langate in the J&K Legislative Assembly, he stunned the political establishment in 2024 by winning the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat, defeating former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. He founded the Awami Ittehad Party to give voice to regional issues and was granted interim bail in September this year to campaign for the J&K Assembly elections.