Sheikh, who is popularly known as Engineer Rashid, has been in jail since 2019 in an alleged case of terror funding.
The maverick politician pulled off an upset in Baramulla, defeating National Conference leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah, even though he had contested the election from jail. Earlier this week, he was granted custody parole by a Delhi court to allow him to be sworn in.
Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, who was previously Rashid’s lawyer, told Scroll that Rashid’s speeches that the agency is using as evidence are all of a political nature – “speeches that any politician would give” – and contain nothing that could be linked with violence or terrorist activities.
by Vineet Bhalla & Safwat Zargar
05/07/2024