The Supreme Court on Thursday granted a three-month extension to the interim bail of former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik in a money laundering case. Malik had appealed to the top court, challenging the Bombay High Court's decision on July 13, which had denied him bail on medical grounds in the case under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
A bench of justices Bela M Trivedi and Dipankar Datta noted that Malik is suffering from kidney ailment and his condition has not improved since August 11 when he was granted interim bail for two months. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju did not oppose the extension of interim bail.
The ED had arrested Malik in February 2022 in the case allegedly linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his associates. Malik had sought relief from the HC, claiming he was suffering from a chronic kidney disease apart from various other ailments. He also sought bail on merit.
The high court had said it will hear his plea seeking bail on merit after two weeks. The ED's case against Malik is based on an FIR filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Dawood Ibrahim, a designated global terrorist and a key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts, and his associates under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.