New Delhi, August 18, 2025 : The Delhi High Court on Monday reserved its order on a plea filed by Baramulla MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, alias Engineer Rashid, seeking modification of a condition that requires him to bear the cost of travel and security while attending Parliament sessions under custody parole.
A division bench of Justices Vivek Chaudhary and Anup Jairam Bhambhani reserved the order after hearing arguments from Rashid’s counsel, the Delhi State, and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Rashid was earlier granted custody parole to attend Parliament, with the expenses of his escort—15 personnel from the Delhi Armed Police—fixed at ₹1.45 lakh per day, to be borne by him. Rashid has challenged this condition, arguing that it makes his attendance practically impossible.
Senior advocate N. Hariharan, appearing for Rashid, contended that the imposition of costs was “like giving with one hand and taking away with the other.” He argued that as an elected MP, Rashid is duty-bound to represent his constituency and should not be burdened with expenses equivalent to the salaries of security personnel. “If I am paying, will it be deducted from their salary?” he asked.
The bench, however, questioned whether a parliamentarian in custody has any right to attend sessions. Referring to Supreme Court precedent, the judges observed: “We are not granting interim bail. He is in custody parole, and in such cases, expenses are generally borne by the person availing relief.”
Counsel for the Delhi State submitted that security is provided by the Delhi Armed Police, not jail authorities, and costs are charged as per notification. NIA’s counsel, senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, opposed Rashid’s plea, stressing that the March 25 order imposing the condition was passed with the applicant’s consent.
The bench also noted that in earlier instances Rashid was allowed to attend Parliament without incurring costs, but from the third time onwards, expenses were imposed. It directed the authorities to explain the basis for calculating the costs and reserved its decision.
Rashid, currently in custody in a UAPA case, is seeking modification of the March 25 order that required him to deposit ₹4 lakh towards travel and security expenses.
