A Delhi court on Monday rejected the custody parole plea of jailed Jammu and Kashmir MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, who sought permission to attend the ongoing Parliament session.

Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh dismissed the plea and scheduled the order on Rashid’s regular bail application for March 19. A detailed order is awaited.

On March 3, the court had directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to respond to the plea. After hearing arguments, the court reserved its verdict.

Rashid’s plea, filed by advocate Vikhyat Oberoi on February 27, argued that as an elected MP, he needed to attend the session to fulfill his parliamentary duties. Rashid secured a significant victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla, defeating former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

His regular bail plea remains pending before the court. The second phase of Parliament’s Budget session is set to take place from March 10 to April 4.

Previously, on September 10, Rashid was granted interim bail to campaign for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. He surrendered before Tihar Jail on October 27.

Rashid has been in Tihar Jail since 2019 following his arrest by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in a 2017 terror funding case.

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections were conducted in three phases from September 18 to October 1, with results declared on October 8. The National Conference-Congress alliance secured a majority with 48 seats in the 90-member assembly.

On February 24, the Delhi High Court directed the sessions judge to expedite Rashid’s bail plea. This direction came in response to a December 24, 2024, order, in which the sessions court requested the district judge to transfer the case to a designated court for lawmakers.

Rashid’s name surfaced during the NIA’s investigation into Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Watali, who was arrested for allegedly funding terrorist groups and separatist elements in the Kashmir Valley.

The NIA filed a chargesheet in the case against several individuals, including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin. Malik was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2022 after pleading guilty to the charges.