Ex-Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik's bail plea: Court says order not ready; decision deferred till Nov 30

Nawab Malik. File Pic

The order on the bail plea of former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik in a money laundering case is likely to be pronounced on November 30 as a special court in Mumbai on Thursday said the "order was not ready", reported news agency PTI.

According to PTI, special judge R N Rokade had on November 14 reserved his order Malik's bail plea and listed it for Thursday after hearing lengthy arguments put forth by both sides.

As the matter came up on Thursday, the court said the order was not ready.

The order is now likely to be pronounced on November 30, reported PTI.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Malik in February this year in a money laundering case linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.

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Nawab Malik is in judicial custody and currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital, reported PTI.

Malik moved a regular bail plea before the special court in July.

The NCP leader sought bail pleading there is no predicate offence against him to prosecute him for money laundering.

The probe agency, however, opposed the bail stating the case registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Dawood Ibrahim and his henchmen is considered as a predicate offence.

The ED has claimed the accused was dealing with Ibrahim and his sister Hasina Parkar and "there is no question of him being innocent".

The ED's case against Malik is based on an FIR filed by the NIA against Dawood Ibrahim, a designated global terrorist and key accused in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case, and his aides under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).