BJP demands Nawab Malik's resignation after PMLA court takes cognizance of ED charge sheet

After a PMLA court took cognizance of the ED charge sheet against NCP Minister Nawab Malik, BJP on Saturday renewed its demand for his ouster from the Maharashtra Cabinet. Taking note of the ED's allegation that the NCP MLA connived with D-company members to usurp prime property, special judge Rahul R Rokade observed that there is prima facie evidence to indicate that the accused is directly and knowingly involved in a money laundering offence. Reacting to this, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Pravin Darekar urged Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray to immediately sack Malik. 

Pravin Darekar remarked, "If the government even has a modicum of shame, it should immediately take the resignation of Nawab Malik. People who said that we were doing politics over Nawab Malik have got a befitting response. In the Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis had talked about Malik's transactions with the bomb blast accused with evidence and demanded his resignation. But to save his government, Uddhav Thackeray supported Nawab Malik and didn't take his resignation under NCP pressure."

Speaking to the media on this development, former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis opined, "Shocking revelations are coming to the fore in the charge sheet. Nawab Malik's full connections with the D-Gang have been highlighted in this charge sheet. Despite this, the government wants to save him. Even now, he is a Minister. So, the CM wants to work with a Minister who has connections with Dawood."

Nawab Malik's arrest in money laundering case

Nawab Malik was arrested at 2.45 p.m. on February 23 by the ED, which alleged that he was guilty of an offence punishable under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. This came after Dawood Ibrahim's brother Iqbal Kaskar allegedly revealed certain facts about his sister Haseena Parkar's involvement in usurping high-valued properties of innocent citizens in Mumbai. The ED alleged that Munira Plumber's prime property in Kurla, the present market value of which is Rs.300 crore, was usurped by the NCP leader through Solidus Investments Pvt. Ltd. - a company purportedly owned by his family members.

As per the ED, this was done in connivance with Haseena Parkar, her bodyguard Salim Patel and 1993 bomb blasts convict Sardar Shah Wali Khan. Subsequently, a special PMLA court remanded him to ED custody. Most importantly, it held that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the accusations are well-founded under PMLA. It is worth noting that the central agency has also attached multiple properties belonging to him and his family.