A Delhi court on Wednesday reserved its verdict on the bail plea of MP Engineer Abdul Rashid in a terror funding case, leaving his family and supporters disheartened.
“ We were hoping he would get bail today but the decision has been reserved,’’ said Abrar Rashid, Rashid's son.
He said Rashid’s lawyers were confident that he would get bail but now the decision will be announced only on September 4.
“I am hopeful that my father will get bail and we have faith in the judiciary,’’ he said.
The Awami Itehad Party (AIP) leader was arrested by the NIA in August 2019, on charges of terror funding.
He fought the recent Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla and defeated heavyweights Omar Abdullah of the National Conference and Sajad Lone of the People’s Conference.
The two-time MLA, whose real name is Abdul Rashid Sheikh, led 15 of the 18 assembly segments in the Baramulla Parliamentary constituency.
His sons, Arbar and Asrar Rashid, ran an emotional campaign for him and sought votes for his release.
His party has fielded candidates on several seats for the first phase of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Given his success in the Lok Sabha polls, several politicians and individuals have joined the AIP to contest the upcoming elections.
It is believed that Rashid’s release will not only rejuvenate his party but also sway many voters to the AIP, posing a challenge to other parties.
The court had asked the NIA to respond to Rashid's bail plea by August 28.
It is expected that the AIP leader could get bail after the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that even in money laundering cases, bail should be the norm, and jail an exception after granting bail to Prem Prakash, an aide of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in an illegal mining case by the Enforcement Directorate.
A bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan emphasised that in cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the principle that “bail is the rule, and jail is the exception” still applies. The court stressed that no one should be deprived of their liberty, and Section 45 of the PMLA, which imposes stringent conditions for granting bail in money laundering cases, does not alter this fundamental principle.
