New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a bail plea filed by Maharashtra Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik, who is accused of money laundering. A Bench headed by Justice Dr D Y Chandrachud passed the order after hearing Malik’s lawyer Kapil Sibal and other parties. “It is too nascent a stage to interfere. We cannot interfere with the due process at this stage. You move the competent court, please,” the apex court said, while refusing to entertain the appeal filed by Malik. Malik is in jail in a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case. Sibal questioned the validity of Malik’s arrest in February 2022 for an offence that purportedly happened in 1999. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), the probe agency, arrested the Maharashtra Minister after investigating him in connection with a money laundering case allegedly linked to Dawood Ibrahim and the underworld. According to the prosecution, Malik had allegedly made a deal with an aide of Dawood Ibrahim, Sardar Shahvali Khan, and Haseena Parkar’s bodyguard Salim Patel. Parkar is Dawood Ibrahim’s sister. While refusing to entertain the appeal filed by Malik, Justice Chandrachud said: “We will not entertain this petition. “We are not inclined to exercise jurisdiction under 136 when the investigation is at the nascent stage.” UNI SM MR
