New Delhi: Maharashtra cabinet minister Nawab Malik Tuesday appealed before the Bombay High Court to quash a money laundering case registered against him by the Enforcement Directorate(ED).
The NCP leader in his plea to the court has argued that his arrest by ED is illegal and he should be released immediately. The HC granted him a hearing on Wednesday.
After being arrested on February 23, Malik was remanded to ED custody by a local court till March 3 in money laundering case linked to underworld gangster Dawood Ibrahim.
Nawab Malik's son Faraz Malik has also been summoned by the ED in the same case.
The ED for a long time was keeping a watch on Nawab Malik's alleged links with aides of Dawood Ibrahim. And after establishing money trail links between Malik and people connected to the underworld, ED arrested the NCP leader.
Earlier in February, raids were conducted at residence of Dawood Ibrahim's sister Haseena Parkar and several other associates of the gangster in Mumbai.
The Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra has sought resignation of the cabinet minister Nawab Malik but the alliance government of Maha Vikas Agadhi ( Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP) has rejected the demand.
The NCP has strongly defended Nawab Malik and accused the BJP government at the Centre of playing politics of vendetta.
Nawab Malik has had several run-ins with central agencies. His son-in-law Sameer Khan was also arrested by Mumbai NCB last year for his role in a drugs case.