Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader Nawab Malik on Tuesday approached the Bombay High Court, challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money laundering case.
Malik claimed that his arrest was “illegal” and sought immediate release, PTI news agency reported.
In his plea, he said that his political rivals targeted him after being “deeply embarrassed by the exposes” carried out by him.
Malik who was arrested on February 23 in connection with a money laundering case involving fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides, was sent to the Enforcement Directorate’s custody till March 3.
The ED’s inquiry is based on a case filed by the National Investigation Agency earlier this month against Ibrahim and his aides under the draconian UAPA. According to ED, Malik was “actively involved” in the funding of terrorist activities.
A bench of Justices SB Shukre and GA Sanap will hear Malik’s plea on Wednesday.
In the plea, Malik also claimed that action was taken against him since he has been a “vocal critique of misuse of central agencies” since 2020.
Nawab Malik has been repeatedly attacking central enforcement agencies, accusing them of harassing and intimidating opposition leaders at the behest of the BJP-led Union government.
Three weeks back, Malik had hit out at the Union government for trying to topple the state government and said the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena will not only continue to govern Maharashtra but will also come to power at the Union by dislodging the BJP.
