In a case against fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his underworld gang, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) claimed on Wednesday that it had attached several assets of incarcerated Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik under the anti-money laundering statute.
The federal investigation agency said in a statement that it has issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) attaching properties belonging to "Mohammed Nawab Mohammed Islam Malik alias Nawab Malik, his family members, Solidus Investments Pvt. Ltd., and Malik Infrastructure." Goawala complex and a commercial unit in Mumbai's suburban Kurla (West), a 147.79-acre agricultural property in Maharashtra's Osmanabad district, three flats in Kurla (West), and two residential flats in Bandra are among the properties (West).
In a similar event, the Supreme Court decided to hear 62-year-old Malik's plea for immediate release from prison in this money laundering case on Wednesday.
In February, Malik was arrested in Mumbai by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case filed against Ibrahim and others.
This case was filed after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a FIR in February charging Ibrahim and other members of his gang, including Anees Ibrahim, Chhota Shakeel, Javed Chikna, and Tiger Memon.
"After leaving India, Dawood Ibrahim began supervising his criminal activities in India through close accomplices such as Haseena Parkar (Dawood's sister) and others, according to the NIA's FIR." According to the ED, Nawab Malik "usurped" a prime property of Mrs Munira Plumber through Solidus Investments Pvt. Ltd., a firm owned by Nawab Malik's family members and controlled by Nawab Malik, with active connivance of members of the D-gang (Dawood Ibrahim gang), including Haseena Parkar.
"Haseena Parkar and Nawab Malik conspired together to usurp this property and executed many legal documents to provide a veneer of genuinity for this illegal crime," the ED claimed.
Solidus Investments Private Limited had "illegally" taken over the property of Plumber and her mother Mariyambai, and Haseena Parkar, Sardar Shahvali Khan, Salim Patel, and Nawab Malik had "illegally" usurped property/proceeds of crime that is a three acre prime land with building/structure etc. at Goawala Compound, Kurla (West) in Mumbai, it said. "These persons illegally transferred the land belonging to Munira Plumber and her mother Mariyam Goawala by having it registered in the name of Solidus Investments Private Limited on the basis of fake/forged documents," it said.
The asset is a "proceeds of crime," according to the ED.
According to the agency, rent of Rs. 11.70 crore was received from this property in two firms "owned" by Nawab Malik — Solidus Investments Pvt. Ltd. and Malik Infrastructure. Malik had argued in front of the high court that he had purchased the land in a legitimate deal three decades ago, but Plumber had now altered her opinion.