A special PMLA court of Mumbai sent Maharashtra Minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik to judicial custody till 21 March in connection with Dawood Ibrahim money laundering case.
Malik was arrested on February 23 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after being questioned for more than 6 hours at the agency office of ED in South Mumbai. He was produced before the Special PMLA judge R.S. Rokade after his extended custody with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of 12 days ended on Sunday.
Before being produced before the court, Malik was sent to JJ Hospital in Mumbai for medical checkup. The court sent him to judicial custody as the probe agency did not seek further custody of him.
An FIR was filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Dawood Ibrahim and others. A criminal case was filed under sections of the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Lawyer Amit Desai, representing Malik argued, that the terror funding by the Minister to Haseena Parkar was ₹5 lakh as against ₹55 lakh in the first application, which was due to a “typing error”.
“The last time the ED told the court that there was a connection between Nawab Malik and the underworld gang. It was said that he had an active involvement in terror funding. It was called a terror fund by accusing him of funding Haseena Parkar ₹55 lakh. But today, ED says that last time ₹55 lakh was a typing mistake and it is only ₹5 lakh, but on the basis of this application, he was sent to ED’s custody.”
Advocate Amit Desai
Malik was found to be guilty of an offence punishable under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 according to an arrest order issued by ED Assistant Director Niraj Kumar.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed an FIR against the company of Dawood Ibrahim, D Company. Based on the FIR registered, the Enforcement Directorate filed a case under the PMLA and Unlawful Prevention Act (UAPA).
According to the case filed by the ED, the Kurla property deal of Malik and Dawood involves a ₹80 lakh payment by Nawab Malik to Haseena Parkar, sister of the underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, out of this ₹80 lakh, around ₹25 lakh was paid through a cheque and ₹55 lakh in cash to acquire a 3 acre land in Kurla.