In a relief, the Delhi Patiala House court provided interim bail to Baramullah MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Rashid Engineer on Tuesday, September 10.
He had moved the Delhi court seeking interim bail in view of the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections which is scheduled to take place on September 18, 25 and October 1.
He was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2017 under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Along with Rashid Engineer, NIA filed chargehseet against several people including Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin.
Rashid Engineer, being a two-time MLA in the past had recently won the Lok Sabha elections from Baramullah seat defeating National Conference leader and former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah.
Jammu and Kashmir has 87.09 lakh voters, including 42.6 lakh women, across 90 constituencies, according to the Election Commission.