Delhi HC delivers split verdict on Rashid’s Parl travel expenses plea

The Delhi High Court on Friday delivered a split verdict on a plea by jailed Jammu and Kashmir MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh seeking modification of an order asking him to deposit approximately Rs four lakh with jail authorities to attend Parliament while being in custody.

While Justice Vivek Chaudhary rejected Rashid’s plea, Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani allowed it. “We have not been able to concur with each other. We have given two separate judgments. It will have to be placed before the Chief Justice for appropriate orders,” both the judges said while pronouncing the verdict.

Justice Chaudhary added, “My brother (J Bhambhani) has allowed the application. I ended up rejecting it.” The high court was hearing a plea by Rashid seeking modification of an order passed by a coordinate bench on March 25, asking him to deposit around Rs four lakh with jail authorities to attend Parliament while being in custody.

The Baramulla MP, who defeated Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, is facing trial in a terror funding case with allegations that he funded separatists and terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir.

He has been lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail since 2019 after the NIA arrested him in the 2017 terror-funding case. He was granted interim bail for a month in September last year to campaign in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election.

The NIA’s FIR alleged that Rashid’s name cropped up during the interrogation of businessman and co-accused Zahoor Watali.

After being chargesheeted in October 2019, a special NIA court framed charges against Rashid and others in March 2022 under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war against the government), and 124A (sedition) of IPC and for offences relating to terrorist acts and terror funding under UAPA.