Cyber cell gets court nod to question Nawab Malik in document leak case

The cyber cell of Mumbai police crime branch on Tuesday obtained permission from the special MP and MLA court to question state minister Nawab Malik in connection with the leak of a confidential document related to postings and transfers of police personnel

The cyber cell of Mumbai police crime branch on Tuesday obtained permission from the special MP and MLA court to question state minister Nawab Malik in connection with the leak of a confidential document related to postings and transfers of police personnel.

Nationalist Congress Party leader Nawab Malik Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo

Malik, a Nationalist Congress Party leader, is currently in judicial custody in a money-laundering case probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). He has been admitted to Criticare hospital for kidney-related ailments.

Cyber cell’s counsel Ajay Missar moved a plea before the special court pleading that they needed to record the statement of Malik as he seemed to have some knowledge about a letter written by former commissioner of state intelligence department (SID) Rashmi Shukla.

Missar further told the court that a copy of the letter was in Malik’s possession which he had shown in a media briefing.

When the court asked if the minister would be made an accused in the case the counsel said a decision would be made in this regard after recording his statement.

Though the ED objected to the plea, the court gave the go-ahead to police to question Malik.

In August 2020, Shukla wrote to the then director general of police alleging corruption in postings and transfers of police personnel. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis in an interview with a television channel on March 23, 2021, mentioned Shukla’s letter. Based on a complaint by SID, a case against unknown persons was registered on March 26.