Nawab Malik, a leader of the Nationalist Congress Party and Maharashtra's Minorities Affairs Minister, has been remanded in the Enforcement Directorate's custody till March 3rd. He was arrested in connection with a money laundering case involving fugitive terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, earlier yesterday. He was subsequently brought before Special Judge Rahul Rokade, who had ordered him to be held for 15 days by the investigating agency.
Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing on behalf of the ED, addressed the court about the illicit land agreement between Nawab Malik's firm and 1993 Mumbai bomb blast convict Sardar Shahwali Khan and Haseena Parkar's frontman, Mohd Salim Patel.
The property in Goawala Compound in Kurla initially belonged to a woman named Munira Plumber and her sister. According to the ASG. Mr. Singh said that Hassena Parkar bought the property using a counterfeit power of attorney and that no money was paid to the real owners.
Senior Advocate Amit Desai, who denied all claims stated that his client Nawab Malik was arrested to create the impression that he was involved in anti-national activities. Mr. Desai asserted that there is no retrospective in criminal law and that the power of attorney in question dates from 1999, while the Prevention of Money Laundering Act was enacted in 2002.
Meanwhile, in light of Mr. Malik's advanced age, the defence has filed applications with the special court for home-cooked meals, medicine, and the presence of lawyers during interrogation, all of which will be heard today.
