Mumbai Court Advances Money Laundering Case Against Former Minister
A special court in Mumbai has taken a significant step forward in the high-profile money laundering case involving former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik, with charges formally framed against the Nationalist Congress Party leader and two companies connected to his family.
Court Finds Sufficient Grounds for Trial
Special Judge S R Navander, presiding over the case on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, declared that sufficient material exists on record to proceed with framing charges against all accused parties. The court specifically applied Section 3 read with Section 70 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), setting the stage for a full trial.
The accused facing charges include Nawab Malik himself along with two family-linked entities – Malik Infrastructure and Solidus Investments. During the proceedings, Malik and the two firms, represented by their directors or partners, entered not guilty pleas, formally initiating the trial process under PMLA provisions.
Alleged Connection to D-Company and Property Usurpation
The court's order from last week, which rejected a discharge plea from one of the companies, outlined detailed allegations. According to the judicial document, Nawab Malik allegedly collaborated with members of the D-Company – including Haseena Parkar (sister of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim), Salim Patel, and co-accused Sardar Khan – in laundering proceeds from illegally acquired property.
The Enforcement Directorate's case centers around properties at Goawala compound in Kurla that originally belonged to two women – Munira Plumber and Marium Goawala. The agency claims these properties were illegally taken over by Hasina Parkar through her associate Salim Patel using forged power of attorney documents, then transferred without proper authorization.
The ED investigation alleges that Solidus Investments purchased the usurped property and collected rents from tenants until 2010-11. Subsequently, Malik Infrastructure was established to handle rent collection, repairs, and maintenance of the premises, according to the prosecution's claims.
The court determined that both the property itself and rental income collected through the two Malik family-controlled firms constitute 'proceeds of crime' under Section 2(1)(u) of the PMLA. The property has already been attached under Section 5(1) of the anti-money laundering law.
Additional Accused and Defense Arguments
The case involves a fourth accused, Sardar Khan, who is currently serving life imprisonment in Amravati jail for his involvement in the 1993 Bombay Blasts case. The court will separately frame charges against Khan, with relevant documents being sent to the prison where he is incarcerated.
In their defense, Malik Infrastructure had sought discharge from the case last week, arguing that the firm only entered into lease transactions with Solidus in 2010-11 and didn't exist during the initial alleged activities. The company contended that this timeline discrepancy should prevent charges from being framed against it, though the court ultimately rejected this argument.
With charges now formally framed, the legal proceedings will advance to the trial phase, where the Enforcement Directorate will present its evidence to substantiate the money laundering allegations against the prominent NCP leader and his family-associated businesses.
