AGENCIES
Former Maharashtra minister, NCP leader Nawab Malik has been granted an interim bail for two months by the Supreme Court on health grounds. The interim bail comes following 1.5 years of custody after he was arrested in connection with a money laundering case on February 23, 2022.
A bench of Justice Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi clarified that the interim bail is not on merit but on medical grounds. “He is in hospital for kidney disease and ailments. Let counter affidavit be filed to the main petition within 5 weeks and rejoinder and thereafter in 3 weeks. List List after 10 weeks. Bail granted. We are passing the order strictly on medical conditions and have not entered merits,” the order said, as quoted by Bar and Bench.
Nawab Malik was arrested under the PMLA in a case first registered by the NIA against gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his close associates including Shakeel Shaikh Babu Moiuddin aka Chhota Shakeel, Ibrahim Mushtaq Abdul Razzaq Memon aka Tigar Memon.
The ED said Nawab Malik dealt with Dawood’s sister late Hassena Parkar and conspired with her to usurp the Goawala Compound in Kurla, using a fabricated power of attorney, in September 2005. The proceeds of crime generated through rent and other income from the land, which amounted to ₹15.99 crore, were used for terror funding in active collaboration with terror organisations, the ED chargesheet said.