Relief For Nawab Malik As SC Extends Interim Bail Of NCP Leader By 3 Months In Money Laundering Case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday extended the interim bail of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik by three months on health grounds in a money laundering case. The accused, Malik, was earlier granted bail for two months by the Top Court on August 11 on the same health grounds.

A 2-judge bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi extended the bail as his health condition has not improved and his one kidney has failed.

The Solicitor General (SG), Tushar Mehta, appearing for the probe agency, Enforcement Directorate (ED), did not object to the grant of bail to Malik on medical grounds.

The former Maharashtra Minister and senior NCP leader, Malik, has been in judicial custody since March 2022, accused in a money laundering case. He was initially released on interim bail for the first time on August 11 of this year.

Kapil Sibal, senior lawyer for Malik, had pleaded to the court that Malik's physical condition was serious as he suffers various kidney ailments and his right kidney's condition is deteriorating.

Sibal also stated that Malik has been undergoing treatment for the last 20 months due to a kidney ailment.

Mehta submitted that there is no objection to bail being granted on medical grounds for a stipulated period.

The ED had alleged that Malik had connived with D-gang members, Ibrahim's sister, Haseena Parker, and two others, and illegally usurped a property in Mumbai's Kurla between 1999 and 2006.

The agency, ED, had alleged that since Parkar handled the illegal business of the notorious gangster and global terrorist, the money that Malik allegedly paid her was ultimately used for terror funding, slapping charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act on the former legislator.