BREAKING | Special Court Extends Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik's ED Remand Till March 7

The Enforcement Directorate had arrested him on February 23 for alleged property deals with family members of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim. On that day, the Court had remanded him to ED's custody till March 3.

Today, the Court extended the ED remand till March 7.

"Considering that the accused was admitted in hospital from Feb 25 - 28 and the investigating officer was unable to record his statement, further considering the fresh facts brought on record custody extended till March 7", the Court said. 

The ED informed the Court that a substantial amount of Rs 55 lakhs allegedly paid by Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Nawab Malik to Dawood Ibrahim's sister Haseena Parkar should be read as Rs 5 lakhs and as there was a 'typographical error' in the previous remand plea. 

This assumes significance as it is the ED's case that the consideration amount was ultimately used to fund terror, as Parkar (now deceased) was running global terrorist Dawood Ibrahim's businesses in the country. 

"This should shock the conscience of the court," Senior Advocate Amit Desai said for Malik. 

Asserting that it was a genuine typographical error, Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh said that even Re 1 received as terror funding would still be terror funding. 

"No one pointed it out. We saw that a mistake was made and came forward and corrected it."

The ASG sought further remand of 6 days on the ground that valuable time was lost due to Malik's hospital stay, further statements of 1993 Blast Accused and others. 

"ED was granted custody till today. 3-4 days went in the hospital stay. When he is unwell, there is no question of (recording his statement). I have exhaustively argued the transactions that need to be investigated. They have recorded the statement of Haseena Parkar's son. For the purpose of money laundering, other people have to be examined and confronted."

"Based on earlier material, further investigation, the time lost in hospital stay, I am seeking remand for a further period of 6 days," he added. 

Advocate Desai appeared for Malim along with Advocates Taraq Sayed, Kushal Mor and instructed by Rashmikant and Partners. 

He took exception to certain reports appearing in the Times Of India in relation to the investigation, while the ED handed over certain statements to the court as "confidential." 

Desai further commented on the credibility being attached to statements of 1993 Blast accused/convicts by ED for seeking remand.

"The very agency that puts them in for the crime that they have committed is now relying on their statements? They (ED) might as well believe they are not guilty of the 1993 blast also, since exculpatory statements were given."

A 5-time MLA was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on February 23, 2022 in a money laundering case based on NIA's FIR registered against global terrorist Dawood Ibrahim on February 3, 2022.

ED alleged that Malik in connivance with D-gang members i.e. Haseena Parker, Salim Patel and Sardar Khan hatched a criminal conspiracy for usurping one Munira Plumber's ancestral property in Kurla having current market value of around Rs.300 crores. Thus, it is proceeds of crime under section section 2(1)(u) of PMLA, the ED claimed. The ED relied on documents executed between March 1999 to September 2005.

Live-udpates posted from the hearing can be read in the twitter thread given below :