The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the National Investigation Agency (NIA) if Baramulla MP A. If Rashid is released on bail in the terror funding case, will she consider restricting his movement to a particular geographical area? The bench of Justices Pratibha M Singh and Madhu Jain was hearing Rashid’s appeal, in which he had challenged the trial court’s order denying him bail last year.
Senior lawyer appearing for Rashid said that he has been in custody for more than six and a half years and he was given interim bail twice earlier. He told the court that Rashid neither violated the bail conditions nor faced any complaint during that period. The lawyer argued that the NIA’s fear that he might influence witnesses is baseless and said that he was earlier allowed to go to Parliament in custody.
What instructions has the bench given to the NIA lawyer?
During the hearing, the bench asked the senior NIA counsel to orally seek instructions as to whether Rashid’s movement could be restricted to a particular geographical area in case of his release, considering that he is a sitting Member of Parliament.
The court said that such a condition can address the concerns while balancing his role as an MP. NIA said that it opposes the bail but will seek instructions from the court on the question. Rashid’s lawyer further said that the NIA had initially mentioned 378 witnesses in the case, but the number was later reduced to 248, and the trial is likely to take a long time. He argued that Rashid deserves bail because of his long stay in jail and the delay in concluding the trial. The High Court fixed the next hearing of the case on March 11.
Rashid is lodged in Tihar jail since 2019
Rashid has been lodged in Tihar jail since 2019 after being arrested by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the 2017 terror funding case. On March 21, 2025, the trial court had rejected his second regular bail application.
In his appeal, the MP said he has already spent more than five years in custody and the delay in the trial, which is unlikely to end soon, justifies his release. The petition also states that the allegations against him are baseless and he has always been involved in mainstream democratic politics, having been elected as MLA twice and later as MP.
