Several Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) leaders and workers were detained by Jammu and Kashmir Police in Handwara on Monday while they were on their way to meet and bid farewell to party patron and Baramulla MP Er. Rashid, who is scheduled to return to Delhi’s Tihar Jail today, as per party spokesperson.
Those detained include party’s senior leaders Firdous Baba, Advocate Dawood, Advocate Majid, DDC Khursheed, and Musadiq Rehman.
According to party spokesperson, they were among dozens of AIP workers intending to meet Engineer Rashid before his departure from his native village Lach Mawer in Handwara for Tihar jail as his interim bail expires.
The Baramulla MP is out on bail as his father expired last month.
Engineer Rashid as per reports was scheduled to leave Lach Mawer at around 9:00 AM via Baramulla to reach Srinagar. His flight to Delhi is scheduled at 3:50 PM from Srinagar airport on Tuesday.
Earlier, the Delhi High Court had granted interim bail to Engineer Rashid from June 25 to June 30 to enable him to attend the post-death rituals of his father.
Engineer Rashid, has been lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail since 2019 after being arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with a 2017 terror-funding case.
The Baramulla MP is facing trial over allegations of funding separatist and militant groups in Jammu and Kashmir. Following his naming in a chargesheet in October 2019, a special NIA court in March 2022 framed charges against him and others under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war against the Government of India), and 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code, along with relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
