Money laundering: ED files draft charges against NCP leader Malik; next hearing on July 24

PTI, Jul 10, 2023, 8:35 PM IST

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday submitted draft charges in a court here against former Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik in a money laundering case linked to the activities of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.

Special public prosecutor Sunil Gonsalves filed the draft charges before special judge R N Rokade.

Besides Malik, who is in jail, draft charges were filed against three other accused in the case and the matter was adjourned for hearing on July 24.

Draft charges are a step towards commencing trial in a criminal case. The court concerned has to hear both sides and decide which of the sections invoked by the investigating agency the accused can be charged with based on prima facie evidence.

The court will then read out to the accused the charges he will face during the trial, and once he pleads not guilty, the trial can commence.

Malik has sought bail from the Bombay High Court and his plea has been reserved for order.

The 64-year-old Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, who was arrested in February last year, is currently in judicial custody and undergoing treatment at a private hospital here.

The special court had earlier denied bail to Malik, saying he “is in continuous possession of tainted property” through a firm owned by his family.

The ED has alleged Dawood’s sister late Hasina Parkar was one of the prominent members of the gang, and was involved in unauthorised acquisition of key assets for raising terror funds.

As per the central agency, the probe has revealed that Malik, in connivance with Parkar and alleged Dawood gang members Salim Patel and Sardar Khan, hatched a criminal conspiracy to usurp a prime property — Goawala Compound in suburban Kurla — belonging to one Munira Plumber.

Under a planned conspiracy, the power of attorney (PoA) of the property was executed by misguiding Plumber and a supplementary PoA was forged, the anti-money laundering agency claimed.

The ED’s case against Malik is based on an FIR (first information report) registered by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) against Dawood, a designated global terrorist and key 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts accused, and his aides under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).