The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to list for hearing a plea of Maharashtra Minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik filed against an order of the Bombay High Court which had rejected his interim application seeking immediate release in a case of money laundering being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana agreed to list the case for hearing after senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Malik, mentioned the matter for urgent listing of the case.
Sibal told the apex court, "This is Nawab Malik's matter where ED is taking proceedings. The act came into place in 2005, the transaction is prior to 2000. A transaction from 22 years ago is sought to proceed."
To this, CJI said, "Yes, we will list it."
Malik has challenged the March 15 order of the Bombay High Court which had rejected his application saying just because the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court's order remanding him in custody is not in his favour, it does not make that order illegal or wrong.
After the Enforcement Directorate had arrested Malik under the provisions of the PMLA, he had filed a habeas corpus plea in the High Court claiming that his arrest by the ED and the consequent remands were illegal.
The High Court had said that Malik was arrested by the ED in accordance with the law, and subsequently been remanded to the ED's custody and then to judicial custody following due process.
ED had arrested Minorities Development Minister Malik on February 23 over a property deal allegedly linked to the aides of gangster Dawood Ibrahim.
The federal agency has accused Malik of being part of an alleged criminal conspiracy to usurp a property in Mumbai's Kurla area which currently has a market value of Rs 300 crore and belongs rightfully to one Munira Plumber.
However, Malik had submitted before the High Court that he had bought the property in a bonafide transaction three decades ago, and Plumber has now changed her mind about the transaction.
( With inputs from ANI )
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