A Delhi court has granted interim bail to Abdul Rashid Sheikh, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, allowing him to campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. The bail, which is effective until October 2, was granted in connection with a terror-funding case filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Sheikh has been incarcerated since August 2019 under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and is currently held at Delhi’s Tihar Jail. The Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled to take place in three phases on September 18, September 25, and October 1, with vote counting set for October 8. This election marks the first in the region in a decade.
The court’s decision was announced by Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh, as confirmed by Sheikh’s lawyer, Vikhyat Oberoi. Sheikh, the Lok Sabha MP from Baramulla, previously defeated National Conference leader Omar Abdullah by over 200,000 votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
He leads the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Ittehad Party and had contested the general election as an independent candidate.
In a notable instance earlier this year, Sheikh was granted custodial parole for two hours on July 5 to take his oath in Parliament, with conditions imposed by the NIA regarding media interactions. His recent interim bail request referenced a Supreme Court ruling that allowed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to campaign in the Lok Sabha polls while facing legal challenges.
However, the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Mehbooba Mufti has raised concerns about Sheikh’s party, alleging it acts as a “proxy” for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Mufti questioned how Sheikh’s party could field candidates across the Union Territory, implying significant external support.
