ED details Nawab Malik's links with Dawood Ibrahim, seeks 14-day custody

Nawab Malik arrest: The ED said the Maharashtra minister introduced fake tenants on properties bought with money belonging to fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim to decrease the registration value of such land.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday said Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik introduced fake tenants on properties bought with money belonging to fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim to decrease the registration value of such land.

Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik leaves the ED office in Mumbai on Wednesday. (Satish Bate/HT Photo)

The federal agency arrested Malik, a senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), after grilling him for over seven hours in a money laundering case linked to the activities of the Mumbai underworld, Ibrahim and his aides.

Additional solicitor general Anil Singh and advocate Hiten Venegaonkar were arguing for the ED that sought Malik’s custody for 14 days for further interrogation. “We may be given 14 days custody so that we don't come again before we will complete investigation

The ED said Ibrahim’s sister Haseena Parkar was acquiring property for him in India and Malik was introducing the tenants on such properties. The properties were later sold at values less than market rates.

“The property is under their control. It’s a clear case of money laundering. Hence, we ask for custody,” the ED said.

Amit Desai, who appeared for Malik, said the ED has made a 35-page remand application. “They have every minute detail of all statements in it to get maximum custody. They are complicating it, it's unfortunate. Matter is not complicated.”

“They just need to concentrate on transaction and offence of money laundering and proceeds of crime. All the transactions have taken place in 1999 and 2003. The PML Act came in force in 2005. All of a sudden, they reached his house. They woke him up found nothing in his house search,” Desai a