Srinagar, July 3 2024-
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday issued a notice to incarcerated Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid over disparity in his poll expenditure statement.
Rashid, who is lodged in jail since 2019 after being charged by the NIA in a terror-funding case, defeated former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah from the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat as an Independent candidate by over 2 lakh votes in the recent elections.
The ECI notice was served by the deputy district election officer in Baramulla, highlighting the expenditure register submitted by Rashid which showed Rs 2.10 lakh while the actual amount recorded in the shadow register maintained by observers shows Rs 13.78 lakh.
The notice directed Rashid or his representative to appear before the district expenditure monitoring committee within two days to address the discrepancy and ensure timely submission of the expenditure report to the ECI.
The notice said that failure to comply with election expense reporting requirements could lead to disqualification under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, for a period of three years.
Doubts had been raised during the Lok Sabha elections as to how Rashid’s liabilities were reduced significantly while his assets increased over the past five years despite being lodged in jail.
According to the 2024 poll affidavit, the former MLA’s assets were valued at Rs 1.55, crore compared to Rs 80 lakh in 2019, including a 41,072 sq ft non-agriculture land in his hometown Langate and a house in Srinagar worth Rs 90 lakh.
A science graduate with a diploma in civil engineering, Rashid also declared Rs 11.31 lakh home loan and Rs 3.11 lakh Kisan Credit Card loan as liabilities.
Five years back, he had declared a residential house in the posh Jawahar Nagar locality in Srinagar purchased in 2017 as his only asset, and also stated that he had a liability of Rs 60 lakh towards a home loan from a bank.
Rashid, who won the Assembly polls from Langate in Kupwara district in 2008 and 2014, is presently lodged in Tihar jail in connection with a case being probed by the NIA alleging his involvement in money laundering linked to terror funding.
The Patiala House Court in Delhi has granted him parole for two hours on July 5 for taking oath as a Member of Parliament. (Agency)
