Baramulla Member of Parliament Engineer Rashid will be released on interim bail for five days to attend the Chehlum — the 40th-day Islamic mourning observance — of his late father, Khazir Mohammad Sheikh, the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) confirmed on Wednesday, 24 June. The bail follows an earlier order of the High Court, allowing the jailed legislator a brief return to his family amid prolonged incarceration.

What the High Court Order Permits

AIP Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi said the interim bail was granted in accordance with prior directions of the High Court. Engineer Rashid is expected to arrive in Srinagar on Thursday morning and will be available from Friday afternoon onwards to receive condolences from well-wishers, relatives, and supporters of the bereaved family.

The Chehlum of the late Khazir Mohammad Sheikh will be observed in keeping with religious traditions. For Engineer Rashid, the occasion carries particular emotional weight — he has been separated from his family throughout his incarceration and was unable to be present during the initial mourning period following his father's death.

Engineer Rashid's Legal Status

Engineer Rashid is currently lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail as an accused in a terror-related money laundering case. The five-day interim bail does not affect the underlying proceedings, which remain ongoing. This is not the first time he has been granted short-term relief by the courts for personal exigencies.

Resignation Row and Constituency Pressure

The bail comes against the backdrop of a political controversy triggered by Engineer Rashid himself. Last week, he announced his intention to resign from the Lok Sabha, citing his inability to attend to the day-to-day concerns of constituents from behind bars. However, senior AIP leaders subsequently stated that he would not be permitted to step down without first consulting the people of Baramulla.

The episode underscores the unusual position Engineer Rashid occupies — a sitting MP who won one of the most high-profile constituency battles of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, yet has been unable to function as a legislator due to his detention.

The 2024 Election Context

Engineer Rashid's electoral victory in Baramulla was among the most closely watched results of the 2024 general elections. He defeated National Conference (NC) vice president and current Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by a margin of over 2 lakh votes — a result that sent shockwaves through the political establishment in the region. His continued detention since then has kept the Baramulla seat effectively without an active representative.

With the Chehlum visit now confirmed, attention will turn to whether Engineer Rashid uses the occasion to address supporters publicly and what signals, if any, he sends regarding his resignation threat.