A Delhi court on Tuesday granted interim bail to Lok Sabha MP Er Rashid allowing him to campaign for the upcoming three-phased Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir.
The bail is effective until October 2.
Engineer Rashid has been in Delhi’s Tihar Jail since 2019 in connection with an alleged terror funding case.
The judge granted Rashid the relief on a personal bond of Rs 2 lakh and one surety of the like amount.
The judge also imposed various conditions on him, including that he shall not influence the witnesses or the probe.
On July 5, the court had granted Rashid custody parole to take the oath as a member of the Lok Sabha.
Rashid has been in jail since 2019 after he was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the 2017 terror funding case.
He is lodged in Tihar jail.
The court has reserved for tomorrow its order on his regular bail application.
Rashid, who heads the Awami Ittehad Party(AIP) had approached the court requesting interim bail to participate in campaigning for the Assembly election, which are scheduled for September 18, 25, and October 1.
Er Rashid defeated two political heavy weights -- National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and former minister and Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone – from Baramulla Lok Sabha seat in recently held parliamentary polls.
Buoyed by the Lok Sabha results, the AIP is contesting over 40 seats in Kashmir and fielded candidates.
Rashid, a key figure in Jammu and Kashmir politics and leader of the AIP, is known for his strong regional focus and outspoken views. His party advocates for local issues and challenges major political players.
The AIP has emerged as a strong player based on its performance in the Lok Sabha polls. Several well-known individuals have joined the AIP and are contesting from different constituencies against the NC and the PDP.
Rashid’s release is likely to boost the morale and chances of the AIP in the three-phase elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which are being held for the first time in a decade.
The AIP has been labelled as a proxy by NC and PDP leaders.
“We expected this outcome. I pity the people of Baramulla as their MP received bail not to serve or represent them but to gain votes. After the election, he will return to Tihar, leaving North Kashmir without representation,” Omar said today..
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has accused Er Rasheed of working for the BJP and raised concerns about his funding sources.
“A person in jail is contesting elections, while a poor person's family is not allowed to meet their kin in jails,” she said.