The interim bail of Engineer Rashid, MP and leader of Awami Itehad Party (AIP), has been extended till October 12.
Rashid was granted bail on September 10 to campaign for the party and he walked out of Tihar jail on September 11. His bail was to expire on October 2.
However, as the last phase of assembly elections concluded on Tuesday, his bail was extended by eight more days.
AIP chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi confirmed to THE WEEK that the party’s request for Rashid’s bail extension was approved by Delhi’s Patiala House Court.
Rashid was arrested by the NIA on charges of money laundering in 2019. He successfully contested the Lok Sabha polls from Baramulla constituency defeating heavyweight Omar Abdullah and Sajad Lone of People’s Conference by more than 2.50 lakh votes. He led 15 of the 18 assembly segments in Baramulla comprising Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipur and segments of Budgam in central Kashmir.
However, his release ahead of the assembly polls kicked off a controversy with the NC, the PDP and the Congress alleging he was set free by the BJP to split votes in Kashmir to benefit the saffron party.
Rashid rubbished the allegation citing his victory in Lok Sabha polls.
The AIP fielded candidates across Kashmir, but the impact of Rashid’s appeal was marginal in the first two phases. In the last phase, he campaigned hard but failed to impress the voters in a big way.