The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Wednesday after probing him in connection with a money laundering case linked to the activities of the Mumbai underworld, and fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.
The arrest comes after the 62-year-old NCP leader arrived at the ED’s office in south Mumbai’s Ballard Estate area at around 8 am where his statement was being recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
• Malik is the spokesperson of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and is known to be a close aide of party chief Sharad Pawar. He is also the state cabinet minister in charge of minority affairs department.
• Sources in the ED told CNN-News18 that Malik was not cooperating in the investigation and there are a few financial transactions that it believes has hawala links.
• Sources said that Nawab had bought a property at LBS Kurla from one Salim Patil, who is believed to be a close aide of Haseena Parkar, Dawood Ibrahim’s younger sister. The property was bought at around Rs 35 to 40 lakh whereas the real cost of the property was more than Rs 4 crore. The other person who sold the property to Malik was Sardar Shahwali Khan, a civil contractor who was held guilty of helping Memon in executing the Mumbai serial blasts in 1993.
• The Enforcement Directorate had carried out multiple raids recently and taken custody of gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s brother Iqbal Kaskar. The ED claimed that for usurping “this property members of D-Gang and Nawab Malik connived together and executed several legal documents to put a facade of genuinity over this criminal act”. During his custodial interrogation, (previously arrested accused) Iqbal Kaskar revealed certain facts about his sister Haseena Parker and her involvement in usurping high-valued properties of innocent citizens in Mumbai by using the clout of D-Gang, it said.
• After his arrest, Malik said he won’t bow down. “We will fight and win. We won’t bow down,” Malik said waving to waiting media as he stepped out of the ED office in south Mumbai after spending eight hours there. He was then taken by ED officials in a vehicle for a medical check-up.
• Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil accused the Centre of engaging in vendetta and objected to the questioning of Malik by the ED without any notice. NCP leader and former Rajya Sabha member Majeed Memon said the party will not keep quiet and fight lawfully till the end if the action against Malik is motivated by politics and being carried out with some vengeance and malice, and asked the ED officials not to be their political master’s slave.
• Patil said that the Union government has used central agencies with vendetta to target several people. “Malik is an honourable minister of the state. It was required to issue him a notice if he is to be investigated in any case,” the NCP leader said. “But, the notice was not served. He was taken from his home early morning to the ED office. This is against democracy and the common man’s rights,” the state home minister said.
• While coming out of the ED office, Malik waved at media persons and said, “Hum jitenge aur ED ke aage nahi jhukenge (we will win and not bow before the ED)”.As news of the ED action against Malik spread, his supporters gathered near the ED office and raised slogans against the ED and the Modi government.
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