Money laundering case: Court likely to pronounce order on bail plea of ex-Maha minister Nawab Malik

A special court here is likely to pronounce its order on Wednesday on the bail plea of former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik in a money laundering case linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.

Special judge R N Rokade on November 14 reserved his order on Maliks bail plea after hearing lengthy arguments put forth by both sides.

The court earlier said it would pronounce its order on November 24. However, on that day the court adjourned the matter till November 30, saying the order was not ready.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader in February this year.

He is in judicial custody and currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital here.

Malik moved a regular bail plea before the special court in July. The NCP leader sought bail pleading there is no predicate offence against him to prosecute him for money laundering.

The probe agency, however, opposed the bail stating the case registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Dawood Ibrahim and his henchmen is considered as a predicate offence.

The ED claimed the accused was dealing with Dawood Ibrahim and his sister Hasina Parkar and “there is no question of him being innocent”.

The EDs case against Malik is based on an FIR filed by the NIA against Dawood Ibrahim, a designated global terrorist and key accused in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case, and his aides under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)