4 July 2024: The Election Commission has issued a notice to newly elected MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, regarding significant discrepancies in his election expenditure report for the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency in Jammu and Kashmir. Rashid, currently imprisoned in Tihar Jail on terror funding charges, has been asked to respond within two days.
The notice, served by the deputy district election officer in Baramulla, highlights a stark contrast between Rashid’s reported expenditure of Rs 2.10 lakh and the Rs 13.78 lakh recorded in the observers’ shadow register. The Commission has requested Rashid or his representative to appear before the district expenditure monitoring committee to address the discrepancy.
Non-compliance with election expense reporting requirements could lead to Rashid’s disqualification for three years under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
Rashid, an independent candidate, won the Baramulla seat by defeating National Conference leader Omar Abdullah in the recent elections. Despite his incarceration since 2019, Rashid’s assets have reportedly increased from Rs 80 lakh in 2019 to Rs 1.55 crore in 2024, raising further questions.
A science graduate with a diploma in civil engineering, Rashid has declared liabilities including an Rs 11.31 lakh home loan and a Rs 3.11 lakh Kisan Credit Card loan. His past includes a 2017 incident where he hosted a beef party, leading to an assault by BJP MLAs.
Rashid’s legal troubles began with his arrest by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for allegedly funding separatist and militant activities in Jammu and Kashmir. His bail application was denied, with the court citing unaccounted funds received from businessman Zahoor Watali, a co-accused in the case. Rashid has been granted a two-hour custody parole to take his oath as a Lok Sabha member on July 5.
