New Delhi, Feb 4 (IANS): The Delhi High Court on Tuesday called for a reply from its registry over the designation of an appropriate court to hear the bail plea of Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid, accused in a terror funding case being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

After it was told that in November last year, the anti-terror agency had made a representation to the registry on the issue of designation of the NIA court as a court which could hear cases against lawmakers, a bench of Justice Vikas Mahajan issued a notice to the Registrar General to ascertain the status and posted the matter for hearing on February 6.

During the course of the hearing, Justice Mahajan-led Bench was also apprised that the Registrar General has already moved an application before the Supreme Court seeking a clarification on the issue of designation of a court.

Engineer Rashid has petitioned the Delhi High Court seeking directions to the trial court judge to expedite a decision on his pending regular bail application or decide the matter itself.

Earlier, a court here, instead of passing an order on the application for regular bail, had recommended the District Judge to transfer his case to the MP/MLA court as Rashid became an MP.

In his plea pending before the Delhi HC, he moved an application seeking interim bail to attend the ongoing Budget session of the Parliament, which began on January 31 and will conclude on April 4. In the alternative, Engineer Rashid prayed that he be given custody parole if not interim bail to attend the Parliament session.

The NIA has opposed the interim bail plea of Engineer Rashid. He won the Lok Sabha election from J&K’s Baramulla constituency by defeating National Conference (NC) Vice President and incumbent Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah by over two lakh votes while he remained lodged in Tihar Jail.

Engineer Rashid was arrested by the NIA in 2019 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The ED had also filed a money laundering case against him and the accused persons on the basis of the NIA's FIR, which accused them of conspiring to wage war against the government and fomenting trouble in the Valley.

On December 24, 2024, Additional Sessions Judge Chander Jit Singh requested the District Judge to transfer Rashid’s case to a court designated to try lawmakers since the accused is now a member of the Lok Sabha. The Additional Sessions Judge had dismissed Rashid's plea urging him to pronounce the verdict on his pending bail application in the NIA case.

Engineer Rashid has represented the north Kashmir Langate Assembly constituency in J&K twice. His brother, Sheikh Khurshid Ahmad won the 2024 Assembly election from the Langate Assembly constituency.