Court grants time to NIA to file reply on plea of MP Rashid Engineer seeking interim bail

New Delhi [India], June 22 (ANI): The Patiala House court on Saturday granted time for National Investigation Agency to file reply againt bail application filed by the newly elected MP Rashid Engineer from Baramulla Lok Sabha seat.

Rashid has sought an interim bail or custody parole to take oath as MP in parliment. Hearing Rashid’s plea duty judge, Kiran Gupta, has listed the matter for reply and hearing on July 1.

Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) appeared through video conferencing and sought some time to file reply as it is an UAPA matter and we have to find out modalities. A detailed order is likely to be pronounced at 4 PM.

Advocate Vikhyat Oberoi appeared for Rashid and argued that he is the person who won the election with vast majority. People love him and want him to fight in parliament democratically.

It is my constitutional duty to take oath. I am compelled to beg before them for taking oath. This is really shameful.

The court may direct the jail authorities to contact to Loksabha Secretariat, direct NIA to contact to Loksabha Secretariat, or direct the Loksabha Secretariat to specify the date to which Rashid may take oath, the counsel argued.

He also referred to the order of Rouse Avenue court and Patna High Court in which the jail authorities were directed to take the accused to take oath.

On June 18, Delhi’s Patiala House court on had directed the NIA to apprise on which out of the three dates Rashid Engineer is to take the oath. Time has been granted to NIA to file reply.

The scheduled dates to take oath by newly elected MPs are June 24, 25, 26.

The court is dealing with the plea of newly elected MP Rashid Engineer seeking interim bail to take oath in Parliament. He sought Interim bail or custody parole for taking the oath as an MP.

He was elected MP from Baramulla while in custody in an NIA case.

NIA had sought time to work out the modalities to take him to parliament if he is granted bail.

However, the defence counsel relied on the order passed by the Rouse Avenue court passed in AAP MP Sanjay Singh’s case. He also said that Engineer is in the court custody. Therefore, NIA has no role in taking him to Parliament.

MP Rashid Engineer approached court seeking bail for taking oath. Newly elected MP from Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir has approached the court.

He is in custody for the last five years in a terror funding case lodged by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). He has defeated Omar Abdullah from the Baramulla Loksabha seat.

On June 5, ASJ Singh had sought a response from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the case.

His counsel, Advocate Vikhyat Oberoi, told ANI that an application seeking interim bail and in alternative custody parole, to take oath and perform other parliamentary functions had been filed.

“We filed it I filed it on June 5. Matter was taken up by the Court and it was listed for 6th for reply by NIA,” Oberoi said.

Oberoi had also told that Engineer is a two time MLA. Now he has to take oath as an MP after winning the election. The date for oath ceremony is not yet declared.