Money Laundering Case: SC Grants Interim Relief to NCP Leader Nawab Malik on Medical Grounds

The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail for a duration of two months to former Maharashtra minister and NCP(National Congress Party) leader Nawab Malik on medical grounds in a money laundering case.

Nawab Malik had approached the apex court after the Bombay High Court’s decision on July 13 to deny him bail on medical grounds in relation to the case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

A bench comprising Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Bela M Trivedi took into consideration Malik’s hospitalization due to kidney disease and other health conditions. The bench explicitly mentioned that their order solely pertained to his medical condition and did not delve into the merits of the case.

The Case

Nawab Malik was arrested by the ED in February 2022 in connection with a case that is allegedly linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his associates. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader is currently under judicial custody and is receiving medical treatment in a private hospital located in Mumbai.

In his plea before the High Court, Malik had asserted that he was suffering from a chronic kidney disease along with other ailments. He had also sought bail on the grounds of merit. The high court had informed him that his plea for bail on merit would be considered after a span of two weeks.

The ED’s case against Nawab Malik is founded on an FIR initiated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Dawood Ibrahim, who is designated as a global terrorist and a principal accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts. The FIR was lodged against Dawood Ibrahim and his associates under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.