NEW DELHI, APRIL 28: Member of Parliament Engineer Rashid has been granted permission by the Delhi High Court to travel to Srinagar for one week to attend to his ailing father. The decision, delivered on Tuesday, follows a plea seeking relief on compassionate grounds after a trial court had previously dismissed a similar request.
The court affirmed that while the interim bail is being granted, Rashid must adhere to a rigid set of protocols. He is directed to use only one mobile number, which must remain active at all times, and is barred from meeting anyone outside of his immediate family. “The court is of the opinion that this is a fit case for grant of interim bail,” the bench stated, adding that the Baramulla MP must not move freely beyond designated locations.
National Investigation Agency (NIA) representatives, who had previously suggested custody parole, were directed to facilitate the visit, with the agency covering the associated deployment costs. Officials stated that Rashid’s movements would be closely monitored by a security detail throughout the seven-day period. The MP is expected to return to Tihar Jail immediately upon the expiry of the bail term.
Local political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir maintained that the move is a necessary humanitarian gesture. A spokesperson for the Awami Ittehad Party stated that the decision provides much-needed emotional relief to the family during a critical time. Rashid has remained in custody since 2019 in connection with a militancy funding case, though he managed to win the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from behind bars.
