Nawab Malik arrested by ED in connection with money laundering case against Dawood Ibrahim
Nawab Malik Latest News, Nawab Malik Arrested by ED News: The NCP leader and Maharashtra minister's name first cropped up in the intelligence inputs gathered by the agency in the hawala case, said sources.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik in connection with the money laundering case against underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.
Stepping out of the ED office after questioning, Malik told reporters “Ladenge, jeetenge, sab ko expose karenge. (Will fight, win and expose everyone)”. He was taken to J J Hospital for a medical checkup, following which he was brought to a special court. Malik’s lawyers have sought time to speak to him.
The Enforcement Directorate is looking into a Kurla property deal of Malik, among others. It is probing a Rs 80 lakh payment by Nawab Malik to Haseena Parkar, sister of Dawood Ibrahim, to acquire a 3-acre land in Kurla. Out of this Rs 80 lakh, around Rs 25 lakh was paid through cheque and Rs 55 lakh in cash.
ED has alleged that the Kurla land that Malik bought belonged to one Munira Plumber and was acquired by Hassena Parkar through a forged power of attorney, wherein all the powers to sell the land was given to Parkar’s driver and bodyguard Salim Patel.
Meanwhile, workers of the Nationalist Congress Party have been gathering outside the ED office at Ballard Pier in South Mumbai and shouting slogans against the arrest of their leader.
Security has been beefed up outside the Mumbai sessions court, where Malik will be produced by the ED seeking his remand.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar has called Malik’s questioning an attempt to harass those who speak against the misuse of central agencies. “Nawab Malik has been very outspoken and we were sure that some issue will be raked up by them to trouble him. If there is a Muslim activist who is their opponent, it is their habit to link his name to Dawood. When I was the CM of Maharashtra, they had tried to link my name with Dawood as well. This is an attempt to harass those who are speaking against the misuse of central agencies,” Pawar added.
Malik’s name first cropped up in intelligence inputs gathered by the agency while investigating the hawala case, said sources. The ED has been probing a money laundering case against Ibrahim, Iqbal Mirchi, Chhota Shakeel, Parkar and Javed Chikna after it found several hawala transactions linked to money illegally obtained through extortion, drug trafficking, sale of real estate in Nagpada and Bhendi Bazaar area of Mumbai, and other unlawful activities.
The agency has already searched 10 premises in Mumbai, including residences of Kaskar, Salim Fruit, brother-in-law of Chhota Shakeel, and the son of Ibrahim’s sister Haseena Parkar, among others in connection with its probe. It has also questioned Gangster Chhota Shakeel’s brother-in-law Salim Fruit, Kaskar and Parkar’s son in this case.
The ED money laundering case against Ibrahim and his aides is based on the fresh case filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) earlier this month against the D Company under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Ibrahim and several of his associates have been named by the NIA along with their roles in terror activities, including hawala transactions, against India.
