NCP leader and Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik was on Wednesday arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case linked to the activities of the Mumbai underworld and fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.
Sources in the ED told CNN-News18 that Malik was not cooperating with the probe and there were certain financial transactions that it believes has hawala links.
The ED is investigating an alleged land deal between Malik and Dawood’s brother Iqbal Kaskar. It had conducted raids at the residence of Dawood Ibrahim’s late sister, Haseena Parkar, in Mumbai last week in connection with the case.
According to the ED’s remand application, Nawab Malik paid Haseena Parkar, late sister of global fugitive Dawood Ibrahim, around Rs 55 lakh to take illegal possession of the land in question. The property was owned by Munira Plumber and her mother after the death of Fazleabbas Goawala.
It said that by paying consideration to Haseena of occupancy of illegal land, Malik aided the D Company financially. In lieu of the said acquisition of property through Haseena, Malik funded the terror network of Dawood Ibrahim.
The law enforcement agency claimed that the land belonged to one Munira Plumber and he came to know about the property being sold only after media reports. The property allegedly had many encroachments as the two ladies were not able to take care of the property.
Both Haseena Parkar and Malik took advantage of the two ladies who even feared to visit the property, the ED said. Malik first entered (the deal) through Kurla General Store and later took control of the said land through a company named Solidus Investment, it further alleged.
The criminal conspiracy, it said, was hatched by Haseena Parkar, Nawab Malik, Salem Patel and Sardar Khan to take over the said property illegally.
The current market value of this property is in excess of Rs 300 crore and its value in the agreement is only Rs 30 lakh. The market value of the sale deed was Rs 3.30 crore and total payment of only Rs 15 lakh was made by Malik, ED said.
The legal owners of the property, Munira Plumber and her mother, did not get even a single penny.
Malik was arrested on Wednesday after being questioned for about five hours at the ED office in south Mumbai’s Ballard Estate area since around 8 am and later produced before special judge RN Rokade, who remanded him in the ED custody till March 3.
The ED case is based on an FIR filed recently by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Ibrahim, and others. The NIA had filed its criminal complaint under sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
The cabinet minister’s statement was recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and he was arrested under the same provisions as he was “evasive” in his replies, ED officials said.Malik’s alleged links to some property deals with those convicted for the Mumbai bomb blasts are said to be under the radar of the federal probe agency and hence his questioning was necessitated, they said.
The ED produced him before the PMLA court and sought his remand for 14 days. The central agency told the court that interrogation of Malik may reveal crucial facts which are in his exclusive domain.It claimed that Malik, being “the key conspirator and beneficiary of entire charade”, may reveal the details of this syndicate.
The ED claimed that for usurping “this property members of D-Gang and Nawab Malik connived together and executed several legal documents to put a facade of genuinity over this criminal act”.During his custodial interrogation, (previously arrested accused) Iqbal Kaskar revealed certain facts about his sister Haseena Parker and her involvement in usurping high-valued properties of innocent citizens in Mumbai by using the clout of D-Gang, it said.
It is also apparent that Malik is guilty of the offence of money laundering as defined under provisions of the PMLA, it said.Considering his active involvement in “terror funding” and non-cooperation in the investigation, his custodial interrogation was required for further probe in the matter, the central agency told the court.
While coming out of the ED office, Malik waved at media persons and said, “Hum jitenge aur ED ke aage nahi jhukenge (we will win and not bow before the ED)”.As news of the ED action against Malik spread, his supporters gathered near the ED office and raised slogans against the ED and the Modi government.
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