Supreme Court Grants Medical Bail to NCP Leader Nawab Malik

The Supreme Court has granted medical bail to NCP leader Nawab Malik in a money laundering case. Malik, who suffers from various ailments, had his interim bail extended until the Bombay High Court decides on his regular bail plea. The ED did not oppose making the interim bail permanent.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted NCP leader Nawab Malik bail on medical grounds in a money laundering case.

A bench comprising justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma noted the counsel's submissions that the former Maharashtra minister suffers from various ailments. The interim medical bail will remain valid until the Bombay High Court rules on the regular bail plea.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED), did not oppose the bail, suggesting that it might be made permanent. Initially granted in August 2023, Malik's interim bail had been extended several times.

Malik had appealed to the Supreme Court following the Bombay High Court's refusal to grant him bail on July 13, 2023. The top court highlighted Malik's chronic kidney issues, which have not improved since his temporary release in August.

Arrested by the ED in February 2022, Malik's case is tied to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim. The ED's charges stem from an FIR by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Ibrahim and associates under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.