Delhi HC Lists Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid Custody Parole Expenses Matter For Consideration
Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani observed that the government should bear the expenses, while justice Vivek Chaudhary held that the government should not.
Published : November 14, 2025 at 3:16 PM IST
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court single-judge bench on Friday listed the pleas of Baramulla MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh for consideration on January 14, 2026.
Following a split decision by a division bench on a petition challenging the substantial expenses demanded of Engineer Rashid, an accused in the terror funding case and MP, for attending the Parliament session, a single bench of the Delhi High Court will now consider whether to refer the matter to a larger bench.
The matter was listed on Friday before a single bench headed by Justice Ravindra Dudeja. The single bench then ordered a hearing on January 14, 2026, to decide whether to refer the matter to a larger bench.
On November 7, the division bench delivered a split decision on Engineer Rashid's petition. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani observed that the government should bear the expenses, while justice Vivek Chaudhary held that the government should not. The matter then went to chief justice DK Upadhyay, who directed justice Ravindra Dudeja to consider the matter.
During the hearing before the division bench, the Delhi Police provided a detailed breakdown of the expenses demanded from Engineer Rashid. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani remarked that Engineer Rashid has not even been granted interim bail and is attending the Parliament session while in custody, so why shouldn't the jail administration bear the expenses?
During the hearing, senior lawyer N. Hariharan, representing Rashid, argued that the salaries of police officers are not mentioned in the jail rules, as the Delhi Police includes their salaries in the expenses.
Hariharan argued that Rashid could reasonably afford the expenses demanded. He could even cover the lunch and dinner expenses for the police officers, but he was not in a position to cover their salaries.
Engineer Rashid filed a petition, alleging that a substantial sum was being demanded for attending the Parliament session on custody parole. This was unfair.
Advocate N. Hariharan, representing Engineer Rashid, argued that due to the order to pay a substantial sum for custody parole, he was unable to represent his Lok Sabha constituency in the Parliament session. He had sought a modification of the March 25 High Court order requiring him to pay Rs 400,000 to the jail administration for security during his custodial parole to attend the Parliament session.
The court stated that the petitioner typically bears the cost of security during custodial parole. Hariharan then argued that charging money for daily custodial parole would be unfair, as the petitioner is an elected representative. If he is unable to attend Parliament due to non-payment, it would violate the fundamental principles of democracy.
On July 22, the Patiala House Court granted Rashid's release on custodial parole to attend the upcoming Parliament session. Engineer Rashid won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by defeating former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by nearly 100,000 votes. Engineer Rashid was arrested by the NIA in 2016.
