Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik remanded to ED custody till March 3

Maharashtra Minister and NCP leaderNawab Malik on Wednesday has been remanded to Enforcement Directorate’s custody till March 3. He was arrested after questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case linked to the activities of the Mumbai underworld, fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides. Nawab Malik has had several run-ins with central agencies since last year, starting when he questioned the probe by the Narcotics Control Bureau in the drugs case involving Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan.

Appearing on ED’s behalf, Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh informed the court about the illegal land deal between Nawab Malik’s company and 1993 Mumbai bomb blast convict Sardar Shahwali Khan and Mohd Salim Patel, who was Haseena Parkar’s frontman. The ASG explained that the property in Goawala Compound in Kurla, originally belonged to a woman named Munira Plumber and her sister. Mr. Singh said that the property was acquired by Hassena Parkar through a forged power of attorney and not a single rupee was paid to the actual owners. Denying all allegations, Senior Advocate Amit Desai claimed that his client Nawab Malik has been arrested to create a perception that an elected representative is involved in anti-national activities. Stating that there is no retrospective in criminal law, Mr. Desai claimed that the said power of attorney is from 1999 while the PMLA came into force in 2002.