Baramulla MP Rashid gets interim bail to attend father’s last rites

The Delhi High Court on Monday granted interim bail to jailed Baramulla MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh till June 2 to enable him to attend the burial and last rites of his father, who died at AIIMS, Delhi, earlier in the day.

A Division Bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Madhu Jain passed the order after Rashid’s plea was mentioned before the court on an urgent basis.

Rashid, who is lodged in Tihar Jail in a terror funding case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, had sought interim bail following the death of his father in the early hours of Monday.

While allowing the plea, the high court directed that Rashid would remain accompanied by at least two police personnel in plain clothes throughout the bail period.

The Baramulla MP was arrested in 2019 in a terror funding case investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and has remained in custody since then.

In March 2022, a special NIA court framed charges against him under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the UAPA, including criminal conspiracy, terror funding and waging war against the State. Rashid has challenged the order before the high court.

Despite being in jail, Rashid contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and won the Baramulla seat by defeating J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by a margin of over 2 lakh votes.

Earlier on April 28, the high court had granted Rashid interim bail to visit his ailing father in Srinagar. After his father’s health deteriorated, he was airlifted to AIIMS, Delhi, following which the court modified the bail conditions on May 5 to permit Rashid to meet him in Delhi.

His father’s condition worsened further on the intervening night of May 17 and 18 before he passed away on Monday. The high court has now granted Rashid two weeks’ interim bail to attend the funeral and related rituals.