NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday fiercely opposed in a Delhi court the bail application of Lok Sabha MP from Jammu and Kashmir Engineer Rashid, claiming that he may influence witnesses and tamper with evidence to “obstruct justice” in a 2017 terror funding case if he is granted the relief.
The special NIA court, which reserved the order on the bail plea of Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, is likely to pronounce the order on September 4.
He is in jail since 2019 and had defeated former chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah in Baramulla constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Chander Jit Singh on Wednesday heard the arguments on his bail application during in-camera proceedings (not open to public) and reserved the order.
According to court sources, the NIA opposed Rashid’s plea for bail in the case in which he has been charged under anti-terror law UAPA, claiming that he may influence the witnesses and tamper with evidence to obstruct justice.
The NIA also told the court that it will soon file a “pruned list” of witnesses which was likely to “drastically reduce” the time the trial would take.
There are reasonable grounds to believe that the offences he stands accused of are prima facie true, the probe agency said.
It referred to the 2017 case in which Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the Amir of Jamaat-ud-Dawah, and secessionist and separatist leaders including members of the Hurriyat Conference, were alleged to have connived with active terrorists of terrorist outfits Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Dukhtaran-e-Millat and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) to raise funds domestically and through hawala for separatist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
The accused persons wanted to wage war against the government of India and were following the ideology of “freedom”, effectively meaning the secession of Jammu and Kashmir from India, the NIA claimed.
In 2013, Rashid led a procession at Handwara to protest against the execution of Afzal Guru, a 2001 Parliament attack case convict, during which he shouted anti-India slogans and instigated youth to pelt the security forces with stones, it alleged, adding that he motivated and inspired young people to join terrorist organisations.
The federal anti-terror agency alleged that Rashid misused the telephone facilities while lodged in the Tihar Central Jail, prompting the authorities to impose restrictions on his privileges as a prisoner to make phone calls.
The NIA said it fears that he might misuse his liberty if released on bail. (PTI)