Maharashtra: Prime facie proof Nawab Malik plotted with D-gang, says PMLA court

A special court on Friday took cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's chargesheet against Nationalist Congress Party's leader Nawab Malik and said there is prima facie evidence to indicate Malik was directly and knowingly involved in the money laundering and criminal conspiracy with others to usurp Goawala compound in Kurla.

Mumbai: A special court on Friday took cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's chargesheet against Nationalist Congress Party's leader Nawab Malik and said there is prima facie evidence to indicate Malik was directly and knowingly involved in the money laundering and criminal conspiracy with others to usurp Goawala compound in Kurla. The court has issued a process against him and the 1993 bomb blast case accused Sardar Shahwali Khan, who is also named in the case.

Giving a backgrounder about the said incident, the official order copy mentioned, "An FIR dated February 3, 2022, was registered by NIA under section 120B of IPC and sections 17, 18, 20, 21, 38 and 40 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 against Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and others. It is alleged that Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, who has been designated as a global terrorist by the United Nations, runs an international terrorist network namely D Company, which is involved in various terrorist/criminal activities such as arms smuggling, narco-terrorism, underworld activities, money-laundering, circulation of FICN, unauthorized possession/acquisition of key assets for raising terror funds and is working in active collaboration with international terrorist organization including LeT, JeM and Al-Qaeda. In the said FIR, Anees Ibrahim Shaikh, Shakeel Shaikh, Javed Patel and Ibrahim Mushtaq Abdul Razzaq Memon are also arraigned as accused. On the basis of the aforesaid scheduled offence, Enforcement Directorate registered a case for investigation under PMLA, 2002 against them."

Earlier, in the said matter, an FIR dated September 18, 2017, was registered at Kasarvadavli Police Station, Thane against Iqbal Kaskar, Mumtaz Shaikh and Israr Ali Jamil Sayyed for the offence of extortion under sections 384, 386 and 387 of IPC. Subsequently, Iqbal Kaskar, an associate of D Company and brother of Dawood Ibrahim and his associates, were also arrested under MCOCA and other sections. During the investigation, it is revealed that Hasina Parkar (deceased) was one of the prominent members of D Company and sister and close associate of Dawood Ibrahim, the order read.

The order copy mentioned, "It is alleged that accused Nawab Malik and members of D Company criminally conspired and had taken unauthorized possession/acquisition of the above property. It appears from the statements that Sardar Khan convicted in the Bombay Bomb Blast case was also part of the said conspiracy. In lieu of his assistance in usurping the property of Munira Plumber, he got a covered area of around 368 sq. mtr. in Goawala Compound and the same was given to him by Solidus Investments Pvt. Ltd. For usurping the above property, members of D-Company and accused Nawab Malik, connived together and executed several legal documents to put a facade of genuinity over the criminal act. To this end, Nawab Malik and Hasina Parkar entered into a criminal conspiracy and Nawab Malik agreed to pay Rs 55 lakhs to Hasina Parkar, Rs 1 lakhs to Salim Patel and Rs. 5 lakhs to Sardar Khan. Initially, Nawab Malik occupied Kurla General Store illegally using his clout and muscle power. He misguided the owner and took over the shed in Goawala Compound for acquiring M/s. Solidus Investments Pvt. Ltd."

After the allegations were levelled against the accused and on perusal of various documents placed on record, it appeared to the Court that there are sufficient grounds for proceeding further with this case. "I am of the opinion that process is required to be issued in this case against the accused arrayed in this complaint," Special Judge RN Rokade said.

ANI