Delhi HC to soon designate trial court for MP Engineer Rashid’s trial

The registrar general, through its advocate Kanhaiya Singhal, informed Justice Vikas Mahajan that the Supreme Court has clarified that the specially designated NIA court can conduct the trial as well as hear his bail pleas. The NIA court had earlier deferred hearing over a jurisdictional grey area where the NIA court had inquired if it would be the competent forum to try Rashid’s case given that he is now a sitting MP.

An Independent Lok Sabha MP from Baramulla, Rashid has been in judicial custody in connection with a terror funding case being investigated by the NIA since 2019. He has been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The Delhi High Court, on the administrative side through the registrar general, had moved an application before the Supreme Court seeking clarification if a specially designated NIA court can also be designated as an MP/MLA court, and if such a court would have jurisdiction to try NIA cases not involving MP/MLAs.

On Monday, the Delhi High Court had granted two days’ custody parole to Rashid so he could attend Parliament. He had approached the high court after a stalemate over which court had jurisdiction to hear his case.