Former J&K MLA Engineer Rashid Sent To Judicial Custody For Two Weeks In Terror Funding Case Involving Hafiz Saeed

Former Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, has been sent to judicial custody by a Delhi court for two weeks for alleged involvement in terror funding case on Wednesday (21 August), reports Asian News International (ANI).

As per the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Rashid received funds from UN-proscribed and Pakistan-based terrorist Hafiz Saeed, who heads the anti-India terror outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD).

Rashid had been arrested on 9 August, days after the scrapping of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, and sent to NIA custody. Later on 14 August, his custody was extended to 21 August.

Rashid's involvement in the terror financing case came up after NIA's interrogation of a valley based businessman named Zahoor Watali, who was arrested by the agency on the charge of supplying money to terror groups operating within the Kashmir Valley.

It should be noted that Rashid was questioned over terror financing in 2017 as well. Besides Rashid, several other separatists including Shabbir Shah, Mashrat Alam and Asiya Andrabi have been arrested in connection with the case.