Tihar says it will cost Engineer Rashid Rs 1.45 lakh daily to attend Parliament, MP seeks waiver from Delhi High Court

The bench, however, did not allow the request. The application is expected to be listed on Friday.

A division bench of the Delhi Hgh Court, in an order on March 25, made public only a day after, permitted Rashid to attend Parliament from March 26 until April 4, subject to compliance with several conditions imposed by the court. Rashid already lost a day of attendance on Wednesday of the seven days he has been allowed by the high court owing to the delay in making the court order public.

According to a communication to the superintendent of Central Jail No. 3 at Tihar from the office of the deputy commissioner, Delhi Armed Police, Vikas Puri, the cost of Rs 1.45 lakh is for the escort party that should be accompanying Rashid for attending Parliament. The escort party would consist of one assistant commissioner, one inspector, one sub-inspector, two assistant sub-inspectors and seven head constables, three of which would be drivers, per shift, with two shifts slotted. The expenses also include jail van expenses and escort vehicle expenses.

The security arrangements also include three government vehicles. The communication from the DCP’s office notes, “As per instructions from the Govt of NCT of Delhi, we are charging Rs 7176 for each Inspr, Rs 5739 for each SI, Rs 4783 for each ASI, Rs 4232 for each HC and Rs 3658 for each Ct. per shift i.e. per day of 5 hours and per night of 4 hours for deployment of police.

The March 25 Delhi High Court imposed the condition that the expense for his travel to Parliament while in the court’s custody, accompanied by police, and other arrangements should be borne by Rashid, who was arrested in 2019 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

In Rashid’s latest application, filed on March 26, seeking waiver of this condition, he told the court he received an email from the jail authorities at 8.21 pm informing him that he is required to pay approximately Rs 1,45,736 each day for travel and travel-related arrangements, costing him a total of Rs 8,74,716 for attending the Parliament for 6 days.

Given his custodial status, Rashid submitted in his application that he is unable to arrange for such a substantial amount, submitting that the cost “is excessively high” and that he is “not in a financial position to bear the same”.

Rashid also submitted that on earlier occasions when he was granted interim bail, as well as custody parole for two days in February for attending the Budget Parliament session, no such condition was imposed where he was required to bear the cost of the travel and related arrangements.

Rashid, who defeated Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the Baramulla seat by over 2 lakh votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, submitted in his application that “with great difficulty” he has managed to collect and pay one day’s expenses after “two-three persons from the constituency have collected funds and made payments from their personal accounts to the jail authorities.”

A division bench of Justices Chandra Dhari Singh and Anup Bhambhani, in its order permitting Rashid to attend Parliament, had reasoned that notwithstanding the serious charges Rashid is faced with, “As a Member of Parliament, the appellant (Rashid) owes to the people of his constituency the duty and responsibility to represent them in Parliament”.

According to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Rashid used various public platforms to “propagate the ideology of separatism and secessionism”, was closely associated with various terrorist organisations, and wanted to “legitimise” the United Jihad Council, a platform of anti-India militant groups in Jammu and Kashmir.