ED wants to create a perception against people's representative: Malik's lawyer

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday arrested state minister Nawab Malik in connection with a money laundering case tied to the Dcompany This is the same matter on which former CM Devendra Fadnavis had addressed the media a few months agoFadnavis had alleged that Malik had bought a property from a Dgang member who is a convict in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case Malik has been remanded in EDrsquos custody till March 3Seeking his custody ED said they have found active involvement of Malik in terror funding ldquoHe is required to be confronted with the other persons whose statements have been recorded so far during the investigation under PMLA He is also required to trace the enduse of the huge amounts of monies which appear to have been laundered in this caserdquo said ED in courtNawab Malik outside the ED office at Ballard Estate on Wednesday PicSuresh KarkeraAs per the ED the property deal took place between 1999 and 2005 It said Malik usurped the property with a current market value of Rs 300 crore through Ms Solidus Investments Pvt Ltd a company owned by the family Malikrsquos members and controlled by the minister himself This was done in active connivance of the DGang said ED The 3acre property is located at Goawala Compound LBS Marg near Phoenix Market in Kurla As per ED Plumber said Ms Solidus Industries was a genuine tenant but she was unaware that its ownership had changed hands and was in control of Malikrsquos family She said she had never met Malik Plumber said one Salim Patel who identified himself as a social worker approached her and promised to clear all encroachments from her property Plumber then gave a power of attorney to Salim Patel Later she found that Sardar Shawali Khan and Salim Patel who was the driver of Dawood Ibrahimrsquos sister Haseena Parker sold the property to Malik Plumber said she has not received any money from Salim Patel as mentioned in the sale deed of 2005According to ED Plumber recently learnt about Malikrsquos alleged involvement through media reports She didnrsquot approach the police as she also learnt that Salim Patel who is now dead was linked to the DcompanyThe agency said it has also found the important role of 1993 blasts convict Sardar Shahwali Khan currently serving life imprisonment in Aurangabad Jail In his statement before ED in judicial custody Sardar Khan disclosed that he was in touch with Haseena Parker and Tiger Memon through one Javed Chikna a conduit of Tiger MemonED said Haseena transferred her interest in the property held through Salim Patel to Malik who paid R55 lakh in cash ldquoFor Usurping this property members of DGang and Nawab Malik connived together and executed several legal documents to put a faccedilade of genuinity over this criminal act During the investigation documents have been collected by the Directorate and the details of the same and the effect of thesame are as underrdquo ASG Anil Singh who appeared for the agency told the courtSingh said ldquoSalim Patel was nothing but a successful attempt for financially strengthening the terror network of Dawood Ibrahim in India By paying consideration for the illegally occupied share of Hassena Parkar Nawab Malik aided the Dcompany financially The association of Nawab Malik with the above mentioned Dcompany members is clear from the statements of witnesses and the documents obtained by ED in search and from authoritiesrdquoSenior Advocate Amit Desai who appeared for Malik tried to show how the agency is misusing its power by arresting the minister without even issuing summons He said that Malik was taken to the ED office early in the morning and later arrested Desai also raised questions over ED arrest memo where they have said that Malik is guilty of money laundering ldquoI donrsquot want to be disrespectful to the ED office but there has to be some restraint in the language that has been used here These courts take years to come to a conclusion but they have already said that he is guilty than why we need courts Let them do everythingrdquo Desai also argued that this a matter of property deal where one person has sold the property and one has purchased The complainant has just got up after 20 years that her property has been illegally occupied and ED has arrested him within a few days of registration of FIR by the NIA in which Malik is not an accusedOn terror funding charge Desai said that Malik is a peoplersquos representative for many years Such languages should not be used in remand application he said They just want to take away his liberty by arresting him The perception they want to create is that the sitting member of the legislature is involved in unlawful activities and they are confusing the court with lengthy and a complicated remand application to seek custody he saidldquoPeople will not vote for a terrorist You get the evidence and get the material and convict him but donrsquot just make the statement You came in the morning arrested him and now you say terror fundingrdquo said Desai