New Delhi: Delhi HC asked jailed J&K Lok Sabha member Abdul Rashid Sheikh, alias Engineer Rashid, on Friday to deposit approximately Rs 4 lakh with prison authorities as travel expenses for attending Parliament. Rashid is currently in Delhi’s Tihar jail.
A bench of Justices Chandra Dhari Singh and Anup Jairam Bhambhani had on March 25 allowed him to attend the ongoing Parliament session “in custody” until April 4 and had rejected NIA’s apprehension that he was a flight risk.
His counsel said on Friday he had already deposited Rs 1.4 lakh and would deposit the rest within three days. HC said that upon depositing the amount he would be taken to Parliament and observed it did not want the purpose of its order to be defeated.
Rashid, HC said, should at least deposit 50% of total amount of Rs 8.7 lakh and posted matter to May 19. NIA was directed to respond to Rashid’s plea for a waiver of the condition that he bear travel expenses to attend Parliament session within four weeks.
The jailed MP said he couldn’t bear the “excessively high” cost and that since he was going to fulfil his constitutional duties he should not be allowed to be prejudiced with such high costs.
