Nawab Malik moves High Court, says arrest by Enforcement Directorate is illegal

Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader Nawab Malik on Tuesday filed a plea in the Bombay High Court challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money laundering case, PTI reported.

Malik, who was sent to the Enforcement Directorate’s custody till March 3, claimed that his arrest was “illegal” and sought immediate release.

A bench of Justices SB Shukre and GA Sanap will hear Malik’s plea on Wednesday, according to PTI.

Malik was arrested on February 23 in connection with a money laundering case involving fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.

The Enforcement Directorate’s inquiry is based on a case filed by the National Investigation Agency earlier this month against Ibrahim and his aides under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The law enforcement agency has alleged that Malik was “actively involved” in the funding of terrorist activities.

On February 25, Malik was shifted to Mumbai’s JJ Hospital after he had complained of stomach pain.

In his plea filed on Tuesday, Malik said that his arrest was a “brazen and completely illegal action” by the Enforcement Directorate. He said that his political rivals targeted him after being “deeply embarrassed by the exposes” carried out by him, according to Bar and Bench.

Malik also claimed that action was taken against him since he has been a “vocal critique of misuse of central agencies” since 2020, The Indian Express reported.

In recent months, Malik had made several allegations against Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and former Narcotics Control Bureau Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede in connection to the Mumbai cruise ship drugs case, involving actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan.

Malik had also accused Wankhede of being part of an extortion racket linked to drug cases against Bollywood actors.