New Delhi:

Jailed MP from Jammu and Kashmir, Engineer Rashid, attended the Parliament session amid heavy police security today after getting leave from the Delhi High Court to attend the ongoing budget session. The court, however, said he has to attend the rest of the budget session while “in-custody”. The court has also restrained him from using phone or internet and addressing the media.

The MP won the Lok Sabha election from Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla constituency by defeating National Conference Vice President, and now Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah by over two lakh votes. 

The election took place while he was lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, accused in a terror funding case that is being probed by the National Investigation Agency or NIA.

Earlier, a single-judge Bench of Justice Vikas Mahajan had granted Mr Rashid custody parole to attend parliament on February 11 and 13 to attend parliament.

A bench of the Delhi High Court comprising Justices Chandra Dhari Singh and Anup Jairam Bhambhani had reserved its decision yesterday.

Mr Rashid has petitioned the Delhi High Court against the March 10 order passed by the special NIA court denying him custody parole. In his petition, the Lok Sabha member called the city court’s order “erroneous”.

The court sought the probe agency’s response and asked it to file objections, if any, before March 17.

In November, a court had recommended that the District Judge transfer his case to the MP/MLA court, as Engineer Rashid had become an MP.

Mr Rashid had then moved the Delhi High Court, seeking directions to the trial court judge to expedite a decision on his bail petition.
The second half of the Budget Session began on March 10 and will conclude on April 4.