AIP urges CJI to grant bail to MP Er Rashid after 7 years in jail

The Story in Brief

The Awami Ittihad Party (AIP) has appealed to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant to grant bail to party president and Baramulla MP Er Rashid, who has been incarcerated for seven years. AIP chief spokesperson Inam Un Nabi told a press conference in Srinagar on Saturday that the MP's prolonged detention without trial violates the constitutional principle that 'bail is the rule and jail is the exception.' He urged the CJI to consider the case with compassion and urgency, noting that seven years of parliamentary representation and public service cannot be recovered.

In a significant development, co-accused Yasin Malik has submitted an affidavit in a Delhi court stating that the investigating agency wrongly identified Er Rashid as 'Sheikh Abdul Rashid' based on an alleged email, claiming that name belongs to another JKLF associate. The court has accepted the affidavit and will consider it during charge-framing arguments. Inam Un Nabi said this strengthens the case for bail, arguing that the evidentiary basis of the allegations has been undermined. He stressed the appeal is constitutional, not political, and called for timely justice.