Maharashtra Minister Arrested In Money Laundering Case Linked To Dawood Ibrahim: What We Know

Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik was arrested after questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case linked to the activities of the Mumbai underworld, fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.

The ED had issued summons to Nawab Malik to appear for questioning. The ED officials were investigating a case registered against Dawood Ibrahim, his brother Anees, Iqbal, aide Chota Shakeel and others.

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One of the charges the ED is investigating against Malik ¡ª initially leveled by former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ¡ª is a property deal that Malik had entered into. There are allegations that the property was allegedly bought by Malik from an aide of Dawood Ibrahim at a price lower than its prevailing market rate.

What we know so far

Defiantly waving his fist in the air to the waiting media persons, Malik said he won't bow down. "We will fight and win, and expose everyone," he said as he stepped out of the probe agency's office. He was then taken by ED officials in a vehicle for a medical check-up.

Malik was grilled over alleged transactions with gangster Dawood's associates and land deals with them. He was evasive and didn't cooperate with the investigation, the ED said.

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Last week, raids were conducted at multiple locations across Mumbai, including the residence of Haseena Parkar -- sister of Dawood Ibrahim. Iqbal Kaskar, the fugitive's brother, was taken into custody last week while Haseena Parkar's son Alishah Parkar was questioned by the ED on Monday.

Kaskar's close aides booked in the extortion case also could be examined and their residences in Thane were also searched. One Salim Qureshi alias Salim Fruit, who is the brother-in-law of Dawood gangs top operative Chota Shakeel, is also under the scanner of the ED. He was questioned by the ED for nine hours and could be called again.

ED interrogation

The 62-year-old Minister was taken to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office this morning for questioning. ED officials reached this home at 6 am where he was questioned for an hour. He was then brought to the ED office and questioned again for close to eight hours.

While Malik was being questioned, NCP workers protested near the party's headquarters, located close to the ED office in south Mumbai, and shouted slogans slamming the BJP-led central government and the probe agency.

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"The protest is against the unjust questioning of Nawab Malik as he was exposing the BJP+NCB+CBI+ED nexus on a daily basis. We will not be cowed down. NCP will keep exposing BJP and all central agencies," party spokesperson Sanjay Tatkare said.

Malik had recently made headlines for attacking the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede accusing him of several service-related wrongdoings after the anti-drugs officer led the raid on a cruise ship on Mumbai's shore in October last year and arrested 20 people including superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan.

Politics galore over Malik's alleged involvement

Reacting to the allegations against Malik, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said invoking Dawood was a convenient way to sully someone's reputation. "I don't know about the case against him but Dawood's name has always been invoked to try to defame rivals," he said. Pawar claimed that he was also accused of having ties with the underworld when he was the state's Chief Minister.

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"25 years later, the same trick is being used to harass and defame," he added. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and Sharad Pawar have accused the central agencies of being politically motivated and claimed that anyone who speaks against the Centre and its probe agencies is targeted.

The BJP has rubbished allegations of political vendetta and accused Malik of buying land from gangster Dawood Ibrahim's aide. BJP MLA from Mumbai's Ghatkopar West Ram Kadam also claimed that since the land was about to get seized by the government, the minister bought it at nominal rates from a bomb blast accused.

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