Delhi HC lists Rashid's plea to attend Parliament for March 25

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A bench of justices Chandra Dhari Singh and Anup J Bhambhani deferred the hearing after the counsel for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said a trial court was scheduled to pronounce its verdict on the Independent Baramulla MP's regular bail plea on March 19.

The senior counsel appearing for Rashid said he received the agency's response to the plea on Monday evening.

Rashid, who is facing trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in a 2017 terror funding case, has challenged a March 10 trial court order refusing him custody parole or interim bail to attend Lok Sabha proceedings till April 4.

In the reply filed to the appeal on March 17, the NIA said Rashid couldn't be allowed to use his status as MP to "get away from rigours of imprisonment".

The NIA argued that Rashid could neither be granted interim bail nor allowed custody parole as he had no enforceable right to attend Parliament session while in lawful custody.

Calling Rashid a "highly influential" person who might sway witnesses in Jammu and Kashmir, the NIA said, "Under Section 43D(5) of the UAPA, the accused cannot be granted bail if there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accusations against him are prima facie true." On March 12, the high court sought NIA's stand on Rashid's appeal.

Rashid's counsel urged the high court to permit him to attend the ongoing Parliament session on custody parole, akin to a previous two-day reprieve granted to him.

Custody parole entails a prisoner being escorted by armed police personnel to the place of visit.

The Baramulla MP is facing trial in a terror funding case with allegations that he funded separatists and terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir. PTI