New Delhi: On Tuesday, a Delhi court granted custody parole to Engineer Rashid, a jailed Lok Sabha MP, allowing him to attend the Monsoon Session of Parliament from July 24 to August 4.

Rashid has been incarcerated in Tihar jail since 2019 after being arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with the 2017 terror funding case.

The custody parole was granted by Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh.

A detailed order is still pending.

The Baramulla MP requested either interim bail or custody parole to fulfill his responsibilities as a parliamentarian.

Custody parole involves a prisoner being accompanied by armed police personnel during the process.

Rashid’s lawyer previously argued that his client should be permitted to attend the parliamentary session through interim bail.

Alternatively, the advocate suggested that Rashid could be granted custody parole without the requirement to cover travel expenses.

The NIA opposed this request, asserting that interim bail should not be granted and that custody parole should only be permitted after the payment of travel costs.

The Baramulla MP, who triumphed over Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, is currently on trial for a terror funding case, facing allegations of financing separatists and terrorist organizations in Jammu and Kashmir.

As per the NIA’s FIR, Rashid’s name emerged during the questioning of businessman and co-accused Zahoor Watali.

After being chargesheeted in October 2019, a special NIA court laid out charges against Rashid and others in March 2022 under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war against the government), and 124A (sedition) of the IPC, as well as for offenses related to terrorist activities and terror funding under the UAPA.