Today, the Supreme Court further extended the interim bail, which had been granted to former Maharashtra Minister and NCP MLA Nawab Malik on medical grounds in a money laundering case. This extension amounts to an additional three months. Initially, on August 11th, the Supreme had granted him interim bail for two months due to medical reasons, following his detention since February 2022.

A division bench of Justice Bela M. Trivedi and Justice Dipankar Datta granted an extension of the interim bail on the submission of Malik's Counsel that his condition had not improved since the previous order.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju appearing for the Enforcement Directorate did not dispute Malik's condition.

“The appellant at present is in Criti Care Asia Hospital at Mumbai being treated for ailments relating to kidney and other ailments. Let him be released on interim bail on medical ground for wo months from today on such terms the Trial Court may consider fit and proper” the bench said while granting him interim bail on August 11th.

“We make it clear that we are passing this order strictly on the basis of medical condition of the appellant and we have not entered into the merit of the appellant’s case,” the Apex Court had also clarified in the interim bail order of August 11.

Case Brief -

The Enforcement Directorate arrested Nawab Malik on February 23 of the previous year in connection with a money laundering case purportedly associated with fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his associates. The ED's contention is that Malik collaborated with members of the D-gang, specifically, Ibrahim's late sister Haseena Parker, her late driver Salim Patel, and 1993 bomb blast convict Sardar Khan, to acquire a 3-acre ancestral property in Mumbai's Kurla belonging to Munira Plumber at a significantly reduced price, even though the property's official valuation between 2003-05 stood at Rs 3.54 crore according to the ready reckoner rate.

The agency has alleged that as Parkar managed the illegal activities of the notorious gangster and global terrorist, the funds purportedly paid by Malik to her were ultimately funneled into terrorism financing. Consequently, the ED has pressed charges against the formed legislator under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.