The Patiala House Courts in New Delhi on Saturday granted custody parole to Baramulla member of Parliament Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, to attend the upcoming budget session of Parliament. The session is scheduled to begin on January 28.
In a statement, Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi confirmed that the order was passed by additional sessions judge Prashant Sharma. The permission is subject to the conditions previously imposed by the court, and Rashid will remain in custody throughout the proceedings. The party noted that while the MP has been cleared to attend, the matter of travel expenses remains contingent on the outcome of a pending appeal before the Delhi high court.
This decision follows a pattern of judicial permissions granted to Rashid since his election. He was previously allowed custody parole to attend the monsoon session (July 24–August 4, 2025) and the winter session in November last year. In July 2024, the court had granted him a two-hour parole specifically to take his oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha. He was also granted interim bail in late 2024 to campaign for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.
A key point of contention in these appeals has been the financial burden of his transit. The Delhi high court recently saw a split verdict on Rashid’s challenge against paying nearly ₹4 lakh in travel and security costs—including the salaries of police escorts—required for his attendance. While the defence argues these costs restrict a representative’s constitutional duties, the police maintain they are necessary for the security of an undertrial.
Welcoming the move, the AIP stated that the court’s decision is a significant step in ensuring the electorate of the Baramulla constituency is represented during legislative business. Rashid, who has been in judicial custody since 2019 in connection with a terror-funding case.
