The special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Friday took cognisance of the chargesheet filed against the state cabinet minister Nawab Malik in a money laundering case concerning a land in Kurla involving underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, thereby clearing the decks for proceeding with the trial against the minister.
After a chargesheet is filed by the investigating agency, the court has to take cognizance of the offence before it can proceed with the conduct of the trial.
Special judge RN Rokade, while taking cognisance of the chargesheet, initiated the process (criminal proceedings) against the minister. Malik will be produced before the special court on July 8.
On April 21, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had filed a 5,000-page chargesheet against Malik in a money laundering case.
Malik, who was arrested by the ED on February 23, it is claimed, had funded the terror network of the gangster through his late sister Haseena Parkar.
According to ED, Malik usurped a three-acre prime property in Kurla of one Munira Plumber worth Rs 300 crores, by paying only Rs 55 lakhs. The sale was through one Salim Patel who held the power of attorney for Munira. Plumber allegedly assigned Patel the task of removing encroachments on her land and was unaware of his links to Parker, the agency said. Patel was a driver and close associate of Parkar.
The land was allegedly usurped through a firm M/s. Solidus Investments Pvt. Ltd which is owned by Malik’s family members and controlled by him.
The property usurped by Malik with the connivance of D-gang members is 'proceeds of crime' under the PMLA, claimed ED. In lieu of the property, Malik funded Dawood Ibrahim’s terror network through his sister Haseena Parkar. The acquisition of proceeds of crime generated from the act of extortion or other illegal activities make him guilty of the offence of money laundering, the ED had alleged.
