Mumbai: In a major setback for senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik, a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has framed charges against him in a high-profile case involving underworld connections.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleges Malik conspired with Dawood Ibrahim’s sister, the late Haseena Parkar, and other associates to illegally acquire prime land in Mumbai’s Kurla area.
According to investigators, Malik allegedly grabbed nearly three acres of land through forged documents and dubious power of attorney arrangements.
The property deal, worth ₹16 crore, is suspected to involve proceeds of crime linked to the D-company. The ED claims Malik used his family-owned firm, Malik Infrastructure, to launder the tainted money and make the transaction appear legitimate.
The case dates back to 2022 when Malik was arrested by the ED following an FIR filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Dawood Ibrahim and his aides under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The court earlier rejected Malik’s discharge plea, observing that prima facie evidence indicates his active role in the conspiracy.
Maintaining his innocence, Malik argued that the allegations are politically motivated and based on assumptions. However, the court noted sufficient preliminary evidence to proceed with the trial. The charges include criminal conspiracy, illegal property acquisition, and laundering of funds allegedly linked to terror financing.