The High Court of Bombay will hear on Tuesday the bail petition of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former minister Nawab Malik, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a case related to his links with fugitive Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
Advocates Taraq Sayed and Kushal Mor today mentioned the matter before the Single-Judge Bench of Justice Makarand S Karnik, which posted it for hearing on December 13.
Malik challenged the November 30 order of Special Judge R.N. Rokade, who denied him bail on the grounds that prima facie, there was evidence to indicate that there a conspiracy had been hatched by Dawood’s sister Hasina Parkar, his driver Salim Patel and Malik to grab prime land owned by one Munira Plumber and her mother Mariyum Goawala.
Though Malik was not named in the scheduled offence but even otherwise, every process or activity, fell within the ambit of definition of money laundering, the Trial Court observed.
The NCP leader contended before the High Court that despite finding flaws in the statement of witness Munira Plumber, the special court rejected his bail and even overlooked his serious medical condition.
Malik, who is currently admitted to a private hospital, was arrested by ED on charges of purchasing a property at a rate lower than market value from gangster Dawood Ibrahim.
He was allegedly picked up from his residence at 7 am on February 23.
After interrogation for over eight hours, Malik was arrested and remanded to ED custody for eight days, after which he was remanded to judicial custody.
Earlier, the former Maharashtra Minister had filed a Habeas Corpus petition in the High Court, which was dismissed. The Supreme Court also upheld the High Court order.
The NCP leader had applied for regular bail under Section 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, after the Special PMLA Court took cognisance of the charge sheet in May this year.