Nawab Malik’s son Faraz skips ED summons

ED officials said the summons was served on Monday, asking him to remain present at the ED’s south Mumbai office later in the day.

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had on Monday summoned Cabinet minister Nawab Malik’s son Faraz for questioning in connection with the PMLA case against Dawood Ibrahim and his gang members in which the 62-year-old NCP leader was arrested last week. Faraz, however, skipped the summons and sought time to appear before the agency’s investigators.

The 62-year-old has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the PMLA case against Dawood Ibrahim and his gang members. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo)

ED officials said the summons was served on Monday, asking him to remain present at the ED’s south Mumbai office later in the day. ED sources, however, said that he did not appear before the agency officials pursuant to the summons. A source close to Malik’s family said that Faraz sought time to appear before ED.

“He would require at least 10-day time to prepare himself, as the matter they wish to question him about is nearly 20-year-old. So in order to recollect information and documents, he would require time,” the source added. He also clarified that no other family member of Malik was summoned by ED.

Meanwhile, the cabinet minister was on Monday discharged from JJ Hospital where he was admitted on Friday following complaints of abdominal pain.

Malik’s sister Saeeda Khan on Monday confirmed that Malik was discharged from the hospital. “He is not completely fine, but his condition is stable, hence he has been discharged from the hospital,” she said.

The minister was admitted under the Urology department. On Monday he was discharged and taken back to ED’s office for questioning.

ED has linked Malik indirectly to the Dawood Ibrahim gang, claiming that he usurped a prime property at Kurla - Goawala Compound, admeasuring about 3 acres and valued at about ₹300 crore - and while the landowner did not get a penny, Malik paid an amount of ₹60 lakh to Dawood’s sister Haseena Parkar for her purported share in the property and thus, funded the fugitive gangster’s illegal activities.

The special PMLA court has remanded Malik to ED’s custody till March 3.