Court Rejects Discharge Plea, Orders Charges Against Nawab Malik and Malik Infrastructure in ED Case

A Special Court in Mumbai has rejected a discharge plea by Malik Infrastructure, a real estate firm associated with the family of former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik, in the money-laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2022. The court has also directed all accused, including Malik, to appear before it next week for the framing of charges.

The court's order, made available on Thursday, states, “Charges be framed against the accused persons on the next date for the offence under Section 3 read with Section 70 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The accused to remain present without fail on November 18, 2025, for framing of charges.”

Special Judge S R Navander ruled that there is sufficient material on record to frame charges against all the accused. The plea was filed by Malik Infrastructure through its partner Aamir, who is Nawab Malik’s son. The firm had argued that it did not exist before a lease agreement in 2010-11, and therefore, the allegations about the land in Kurla, which date back to that period, do not apply.

However, the court dismissed this argument, stating that the rent collected by Malik Infrastructure from the property constitutes “proceeds of crime.” The ED had alleged that the land in the Goawala compound in Kurla, belonging to two women, Munira Plumber and Marium Goawala, was usurped by Hasina Parkar, the sister of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, through her associate Salim Patel.

The ED claimed that the power of attorney for the land was forged and transferred without authorization. Subsequently, the land was bought by Solidus Investments, another firm linked to the NCP leader’s family. The ED further alleged that the firm collected rents from tenants until 2010-11, and then Malik Infrastructure was formed to collect rent, repair, and maintain the premises.

Malik Infrastructure, while seeking discharge from the case, argued that the lease transaction with Solidus was only entered into in 2010-11, and since the firm did not exist before that, the charges against it could not be framed. The court, however, found that “it is evident that Accused No.1 Nawab Malik, in connivance with D-Company members — Haseena Parkar, Salim Patel, and accused Sardar Khan, participated in laundering of illegally usurped property, which constitutes ‘proceeds of crime’ under Section 2(1)(u) of PMLA.”

The court also noted that the property has been attached under Section 5(1) of PMLA. It further observed that the rent collected through both Solidus Investments Pvt. Ltd. and Malik Infrastructure, both controlled by the Malik family, constitutes proceeds of crime within the meaning of Section 2(1)(u) of PMLA.

The court considered the submissions made by special public prosecutor Sunil Gonsalves and concluded that both Malik Infrastructure and Solidus are “family entities” of Malik, distinguished on paper for taxation and administrative purposes. Therefore, they cannot be treated as separate, independent entities for the purpose of criminal liability. Nawab Malik is currently out on bail.