A Delhi court on Tuesday granted custody parole for two hours to Abdul Rashid Sheikh, the jailed independent MP from Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla, to take oath on July 5 in Parliament, PTI reported.
Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh of Delhi’s Patiala House Court issued the direction. The detailed order has not yet been made public.
A day earlier, the National Investigation Agency agreed before the court to allow Sheikh to take oath in Parliament. The agency, however, said that its consent was subject to certain conditions, including that Sheikh should not speak to the media.
Sheikh, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, has been in jail since August 2019 in connection with a terror-funding case filed by the National Investigation Agency. He is being held under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
In the recent Lok Sabha elections, Sheikh defeated National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by more than 2 lakh votes from Baramulla. He, however, could not take oath as an MP when his name was called out on June 25, the second day of the ongoing Parliament session, as he was in jail.
On June 5, a day after the election result was announced, Sheikh moved the Patiala House Court seeking interim bail. The court had then sought the response of the National Investigation Agency on the petition.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!