NIA to seek HC approval for special court powers in Engineer Rashid case

Jammu: The NIA on Wednesday informed a court that it was likely to move the Delhi High Court seeking grant of special powers to a court currently hearing the terror-funding case against J&K MP Rashid Engineer, to enable it to hear the case.
Principal District and Sessions Judge Vimal Kumar Yadav was hearing the matter recommended by a special judge over the transfer of the terror-funding case to a court designated to try lawmakers after observing that Rashid was now a member of Parliament.
The counsel appearing for the NIA made the submission before the district judge, seeking 10 days to the probe agency to receive a response from the high court.
The district judge listed Rashid's interim bail application December 6 to enable him to attend the ongoing Parliament sessions.
During the arguments on Wednesday, senior advocate and special NIA prosecutor Siddharth Luthra informed the district judge that the case should not be transferred from the special court as as it would delay the proceedings.
Previously, the counsel for Rashid and the NIA jointly sought the matter to remain in the court hearing it.
Apart from the case lodged by the NIA and the regular bail application of Rashid, the special judge had also recommended transferring a related money laundering case to the special court for lawmakers.
Rashid was elected from the Baramulla constituency in the Lok Sabha elections and has been lodged in Tihar Jail since 2019 after the NIA arrested him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the 2017 terror-funding case.
Both the cases filed by the NIA and the ED also involve Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba chief and 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, Hizbul Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin and others.
The ED filed a money laundering case against 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 Kashmir Valley.