New Delhi, Nov 3: The National Investigation Agency on Tuesday opposed a plea by Baramulla MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh alias Engineer Rashid in the Delhi High Court for bail in a terror funding case, alleging that he has influenced some of the prosecution witnesses.
The probe agency contended that two of the prosecution witnesses, who are also protected witnesses, have turned hostile.
The submissions were made before a bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Vikas Mahajan, which reserved its order on the bail plea.
Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, representing the National Investigation Agency (NIA), said the testimony of the witnesses, examined so far, would show that three particular witnesses have been influenced by Rashid.
He contended that at least two protected witnesses have turned hostile.
Luthra submitted that Rashid has given specific speeches against India and has been supporting anti-India activities.
“In view of the influence that the appellant (Rashid) wields, he does not deserve to be granted bail,” he contended while giving details of bail orders passed against Rashid.
He added that when Rashid was granted bail to meet his ailing father, he met certain witnesses.
In his rejoinder submissions, Rashid’s counsel said the argument that Rashid influenced witnesses is completely untenable as during most of the period he was in custody.
The witnesses who Rashid is alleged to have influenced are extremely closely attached to him; that is, one is a driver and two others are personal assistants and they have been continuously working for Rashid for years, the counsel said.
He added that the appellant is a member of Parliament and has sworn his allegiance to the Constitution of India, and therefore this is a fit case for grant of bail.
The court had earlier noted that Rashid has been in custody for almost seven years and there are a total of 240 witnesses in the case and the trial would take a long time to conclude.
The court was hearing arguments on Rashid’s plea seeking bail in the terror case lodged under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Rashid was earlier granted interim bail to attend the ceremonies related to his father’s demise.
He faces allegations that he funded separatists and terror groups in Jammu and Kashmir. He has been lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail since 2019 after the NIA arrested him in the 2017 case.
After he was named in a chargesheet in October 2019, a special NIA court framed charges against Rashid and others in March 2022 under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war against the government), and 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code and under relevant provisions of the stringent UAPA.–(PTI)
