New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (January 23) issued a notice to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), seeking its response to a bail plea filed by Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid in connection with the 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror-funding case.
Justice Vikas Mahajan directed the NIA to submit its reply or status report on the matter and scheduled the next hearing for January 30. The plea filed by Rashid, who has been in custody for several years, seeks either an expedited decision by the trial court on his pending regular bail application or a direct ruling on the matter by the high court.
Senior counsel appearing for Engineer Rashid argued that the lawmaker’s bail plea has been delayed for an extended period in the trial court, causing undue hardship. He urged the high court to intervene, emphasizing the principle of timely justice.
“Issue notice. Let reply/status report be filed,” the court stated, taking note of the arguments and ensuring the matter would be revisited in the upcoming hearing.
The case stems from a 2017 investigation into alleged terror-funding activities in Jammu and Kashmir. Engineer Rashid, who was arrested by the NIA in 2019, has maintained his innocence and sought bail on multiple occasions. The charges against him are part of a larger probe into terror-funding networks in the region, involving prominent separatist leaders and political figures.
The court’s notice to the NIA marks the latest development in this long-pending case, with Rashid’s legal team pushing for a resolution. The outcome of the January 30 hearing is expected to provide clarity on the status of his bail plea and the trial court proceedings.
