The Supreme Court has refused to hear the bail plea filed by Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik in a Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, (PMLA) case. It has asked Malik to approach the trial court for bail.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing on behalf of Malik, questioned the validity of Nawab Malik’s arrest in February 2022 for an offence that purportedly happened in 1999. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on February 23 after investigating him in connection with a money laundering case linked to Dawood Ibrahim and the underworld.
Nawab Malik had allegedly made a deal with an aide of Dawood Ibrahim, Sardar Shahvali Khan, and Haseena Parkar’s bodyguard Salim Patel. Haseena Parkar is Dawood Ibrahim’s sister.
While turning down the bail plea, Justice DY Chadrachud said: “This is a very early stage. Interference by us would not be appropriate. You can apply for bail before the appropriate court.”
Sibal replied that the high court had made observations and there was no need of an investigation, but the Solicitor General countered that there was no such observation.
