New Delhi : A Delhi court on Thursday allowed jailed Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid to attend the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament in custody on all scheduled sitting days, granting him custody parole from July 20 to August 13.
Special Judge (NIA) Prashant Sharma passed the order while allowing Rashid’s application seeking custody parole to participate in the parliamentary proceedings. The proceedings were conducted in camera.
Custody parole allows an undertrial prisoner to attend a specified event while remaining under the escort and supervision of armed police personnel.
Engineer Rashid, who represents the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency, has been lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail since 2019 after being arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror-funding case.
The NIA had chargesheeted Rashid in October 2019. In March 2022, the Special NIA Court framed charges against him and other accused under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war against the Government of India) and 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) relating to terrorist acts and terror funding.
With Thursday’s order, Rashid will be permitted to attend the Monsoon Session of Parliament in police custody on all dates of the session, which is scheduled to run from July 20 to August 13.
Earlier, in January this year, the Court had granted custody parole to jailed Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid, allowing him to attend the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament beginning January 28. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Prashant Sharma of Patiala House Court passed the order permitting Rashid’s presence in Parliament under armed police escort, subject to the conditions earlier imposed by the court, including bearing travel and security-related expenses.
Custody parole allows a prisoner to visit a specified place under continuous supervision of police personnel and does not amount to release from judicial custody.
Previously, in November 2025, the Court had permitted Rashid to attend the sixth session of the 18th Lok Sabha while remaining in custody. The ASJ had reserved orders on November 26.
The Court had reiterated that Rashid will be subject to the same conditions earlier imposed when he was allowed custodial parole to attend the Monsoon Session. The detailed conditions, including escort arrangements and restrictions on movement, will continue to govern his attendance in Parliament.
During the hearing, the judge had noted that the question of who must bear Rashid’s travel and security costs remains unresolved. That issue, he said, will be addressed separately in line with the appeal pending before the Delhi High Court.
Rashid, elected from Baramulla after defeating former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has been lodged in Tihar Jail since 2019 following his arrest by the National Investigation Agency in a 2017 terror funding case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
In the proceedings relating to his custody parole to attend Parliament, the Delhi High Court reserved orders on Engineer Rashid’s challenge to the Rs. 4 lakh cost imposed towards travel and security arrangements after questioning the basis of the amount calculated by the Delhi Police.
Earlier, the Court had taken up his plea against the imposition of such expenses and had listed the matter for hearing while also seeking the NIA’s response to his challenge to the trial court’s order framing charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The High Court had previously issued notice on his regular bail plea in the terror-funding case, and before that had granted him custody parole to attend the Parliament session after he moved the Court seeking bail.
