The Bombay High Court on Tuesday said it will hear on March 2 the plea filed by Nationalist Congress Party leader Nawab Malik, currently in custody of the Enforcement Directorate, seeking immediate release .
The matter was listed for hearing before a bench of Justices S.B. Shukre and G.A. Sanap on Wednesday.
‘Targeted for criticism’
Mr. Malik’s plea said his arrest was “illegal” and sought his immediate release as he was targeted for being a “vocal critic of the misuse of central agencies.” The petition, filed by advocate Kushal Mor, said: “The political rivals of the petitioner naturally have been deeply embarrassed by the exposes carried out by the petitioner and the present brazen and completely illegal action of the ED is to try to muzzle him.”
Editorial | Active agent: On Nawab Malik arrest
The petition also pointed out, “The case in hand pertains to a property purchase done two decades ago, when PMLA was not on the statute book and hence, there cannot be any retrospective application of the prevention of money laundering Act (PMLA).” On February 24, the special PMLA court remanded Mr. Malik to ED’s custody till March 3 in a money laundering case involving a land deal with fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s sister.
