New Delhi: Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader Nawab Malik has been sent to judicial custody till March 21. Malik was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on February 23 after being questioned for five hours at ED’s office in South Mumbai.
The ED’s money laundering case against Malik is based on an FIR by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) involving gangster Dawood Ibrahim.
The NIA case has been registered under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Malik was first extended on March 3 until March 7 which has now been extended till March 21. Post his arrest on February 23, he was admitted to the hospital from February 25-28.
During the extension of his previous custody, the court had said, “Considering the fact that the accused was in hospital from February 25 to 28 (during his previous ED custody) and also new facts have emerged during the investigation, the accused is being sent to further custody.”
Last week, Malik had moved to Bombay HC to quash the money laundering case registered against him. In his plea, he had argued that his arrest was illegal and he should be released immediately.
The ED also summoned Malik’s son Faraz Malik regarding the same case.
Malik has been under ED lens over alleged links with land deals associated with those convicted of 1993 Mumbai blasts including Dawood Ibrahim. The ED has been investigating the case and raiding the hideouts of many associates of Ibrahim.
In February the ED questioned Ibrahim's sister Haseena Parkar, his brother Iqbal Kaskar, his brother-in-law Salim Fruit, and Chhota Shakeel.