Tue Sep 10 13:08:00 UTC 2024: ## Parliamentarian Rashid Engineer Granted Interim Bail to Campaign in J&K Assembly Elections

**New Delhi, September 10, 2024** – Jailed parliamentarian Rashid Engineer has been granted interim bail by Delhi’s Special NIA Court to campaign in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. The court granted bail until October 2nd, 2024, with Engineer required to surrender to the concerned jail on October 3rd.

Engineer was arrested in 2017 in connection with a terror funding case and is currently awaiting the outcome of his regular bail application, which is scheduled for a decision on September 11th. His lawyer, Vikhyat Oberoi, argued that the interim bail was necessary for Engineer to fulfill his duties as a parliamentarian and participate in the upcoming elections.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had previously opposed Engineer’s bail application, citing concerns that he could misuse his position to influence witnesses and obstruct justice. The NIA also alleged that Engineer had previously misused telephone facilities in jail and defended the 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed’s terror activities as a ‘political cause’.

Despite the NIA’s concerns, the court granted Engineer’s request for interim bail. The court is expected to decide on his regular bail application on September 11th.

Engineer won the Baramulla seat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, defeating former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. His recent win, despite being incarcerated, highlights the complexities of the political landscape in Jammu and Kashmir.

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