NEW DELHI: Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid has filed a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking modification of an order that granted him permission to attend Parliament sessions in custody.
The MP is requesting to waive off the condition requiring him to pay travel expenses from Tihar Jail to Parliament, as jail authorities are charging Rs. 1.45 lakh per day for travel arrangements.
The Chief Justice bench has refused urgent listing of the matter, which is now scheduled for hearing before the concerned bench tomorrow.
Through advocate Vikhyat Oberoi, Abdul Rashid Sheikh has requested modification of the Final Order dated March 25, 2025, specifically seeking removal of the expense condition.
The jail authorities informed Rashid’s counsel via email on March 26 at 8:21 PM that he would need to pay approximately Rs 1,45,736 per day for travel and related arrangements, totaling Rs 8,74,416 for six days.
The application highlights that Rashid, who has been in custody since August 9, 2019, lacks the financial means to arrange such substantial amounts. His family has managed to gather funds through crowdfunding to cover only one day’s expenses for March 27, 2025.
The plea notes that no such expense conditions were imposed during his previous Parliament appearances, including when he took his oath and attended sessions in July 2024 and February 2025.
The matter of expenses was not raised previously by either the jail authorities or the National Investigation Agency (NIA) before the High Court and Trial Court.
The Delhi High Court had on Tuesday permitted Baramulla MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh to attend Parliament sessions in custody from March 26 to April 4, 2024.
As per the court order, he will be transported from Tihar Jail to Parliament House in custody on days when the Lok Sabha is in session between March 26, 2025, and April 4, 2025, during active session hours, after which he will return to prison.
The High Court had specifically mentioned that the appellant would bear the expenses for travel and other arrangements.
Engineer Rashid’s current petition comes after his earlier plea was dismissed by the trial court on March 10, though he had previously been allowed to attend Parliament sessions for two days in February.
