Maharashtra
Bombay High Court: ‘Can Nawab Malik be considered as sick person under PMLA to be released on bail?’

Mumbai: Can the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik be considered as a sick person as defined under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and hence entitled to be released on bail? Asked the Bombay High Court on tuesday.
Justice MS Karnik posed the question to Malik’s lawyers while hearing the bail plea filed by the NCP leader on medical grounds.
Malik was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on February 23, 2022 in an alleged money laundering case involving fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim for usurping a land at a price much below the market rate.
“If not satisfied on medical grounds then wait,” says court
Justice Karnik said: “If I am not satisfied on medical grounds then you (Malik) will have to wait for your turn (for the bail plea to be heard on merits). There are many other urgent matters on board. Tomorrow, I don’t want anyone to say anything.”
The judge asked Malik’s counsel Amit Desai and Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Anil Singh, appearing for the ED, to first argue on who can be termed as a “sick person” as per the provisions of the PMLA.
The law
Section 45 of the PMLA lays down ‘twin conditions’ to be eligible to be released on bail – reasonable grounds to believe the accused is not prima facie guilty of the offence and the accused shall not commit any offence while on bail. The court has to ascertain whether these conditions are met while deciding on a bail plea. However, these twin conditions would not apply if the accused is below 16 years or is a woman or is sick or infirm. Then s/he is entitled to be released on bail.
“I have some questions on this as many matters are now coming up where the person (accused) says grant me bail as I am sick. So I want to know who is a sick person. I want you to argue on this ‘sick person’, who will be a sick person,” said Justice Karnik. He further added: “If I am satisfied that the applicant in the present case (Malik) is a sick person then the twin conditions won’t apply. But if I am of the opinion that he is not a sick person or is being treated well while in judicial custody then his bail plea would be heard later on merits.”
Bail plea for hearing on February 21
ASG Singh said he would point out to the court that Malik was not a “sick person” and hence the twin conditions would be applicable while deciding his bail plea.
However, Desai cited the order passed by Justice Karnik while granting bail to NCP leader and former home minister Anil Deshmukh wherein the bail order was passed on “medical grounds and merits”.
The HC has kept the bail plea for hearing on February 21.
The HC had granted bail to Deshmukh on December 12, 2022 in the corruption case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Malik approached the HC last November after the special PMLA court rejected his bail plea. The special court, in May 2022, rejected his bail plea observing that prima facie there was evidence against him. The court, however, permitted Malik to get admitted in a private hospital for treatment. At present, he is in judicial custody and currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Mumbai.
Crime
Mumbai Crime: CBI Arrests Long-Absconding Bank Fraud Accused After 21 Years

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has successfully arrested the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot, a proclaimed offender in a high-value bank fraud case, pursuant to sustained and meticulous efforts made by the investigating team.
The case was registered on 31.05.2004 for defrauding Bank of Baroda. It was alleged that the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot, had dishonestly applied for housing loan by the use of forged and fabricated documents.
Charge Sheet Filed in 2007, Accused Remained Untraceable
After completion of investigation, a charge sheet was filed in the case on 30.04.2007, making the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot as one of the conspirators for cheating and defrauding the Bank of Baroda. The accused failed to join the trial or respond to summons/warrants and was untraceable since 2024.
Multiple Non-Bailable Warrants (NBWs) were issued against him. Finally, on 09.12.2024, the Hon. Special Judge for CBI, Greater Bombay ordered to issue Proclamation warrant against him. Despite sustained efforts over the time to trace him, the absconding accused had remained untraceable.
Absconding Accused Frequently Changed Residences
The accused Dinesh D. Gehlot had frequently changed residences. He had misled the local residents about his real identity and had maintained minimal interaction with locals, further hindering efforts to trace him.
CBI Employs Advanced Technology to Locate Accused
The CBI through the deployment of advanced technological tools and identity-tracking databases, meticulously analyzed the digital footprint of the absconding accused to ascertain his current identity and location. Supplemented by extensive field investigations and on-ground inquiries, the CBI team successfully located the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot in Noida.
Accused Apprehended and Remanded to Judicial Custody
Pursuant to his identification, the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot was apprehended on 20.08.2025 and produced before the Competent Court at Mumbai, which remanded him to judicial custody for the purpose of further trial proceedings. The accused is presently undergoing trial.
CBI Highlights Technology and Persistence in Law Enforcement
“This case is a classic example of how the integration of technology-driven intelligence platforms with the persistent and coordinated efforts of investigating officers on the ground can substantially augment the operational capabilities of law enforcement agencies in tracing and apprehending long-absconding offenders,” said a CBI official.
Maharashtra
Maharashtra Rains: Vasai Streets Turn White As Milk Shop Stock Spills Into Floodwater

Mumbai: In a bizarre and rare scene, the flooded streets of Vasai turned completely white after an entire milk shop’s stock spilt into the waterlogged roads on Wednesday. The unusual incident occurred due to heavy rainfall and waterlogging in the area, leaving locals stunned as the streets began to resemble a river of milk.
At the start of this week, Mumbai and several parts of Maharashtra witnessed heavy rains, leading to severe waterlogging in many areas. During this period, a video surfaced online showing a remarkable scene of a waterlogged road in Vasai completely turned white.
A video of the incident went viral on Instagram, shared by the accounts @unexplored_vasai and @nalasoparamerijaan_, drawing widespread attention. It showed the condition of the road, with gallons of milk mixed with the floodwater and flowing through the streets. The unusual visuals shocked many people on social media.
In another news story related to the Mumbai rains, flash floods caused by relentless rainfall on August 19 brought devastation to an animal shelter in Vasai’s Naigaon area. The JJ Foster Home (Jeet & Juhi) and Wagging Hearts Foundation, run by 20-year-old student and animal rescuer Jeet Bhatti, suffered a tragic loss, two dogs and three cats died in the flooding.
The shelter was home to 28 dogs and 63 cats, along with six stray animals kept in a temporary structure nearby. A disturbing video that has gone viral shows the heartbreaking condition of the shelter, with several helpless animals struggling in the rising water.
Bhatti, who has been rescuing animals since his teenage years, described the situation as “heartbreaking,” saying, “The animals were terrified and under immense stress. Even though our house was built a couple of feet above ground, the water rose nearly four feet inside.” He blamed the disaster on unchecked construction, destruction of mangroves, record-breaking rainfall, and high tides.
Maharashtra
Bombay HC Orders SRA To Issue Commencement Certificate For Vile Parle Slum Redevelopment, Raps Officials For Delay

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has come down heavily on the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) and other officials for allegedly stalling a slum redevelopment project at Vile Parle, Mumbai, and directed them to issue a commencement certificate (CC) to Sateri Builders & Developers LLP.
Court Clears Builder’s Plea
A bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Arif Doctor on Friday allowed the writ petition filed by Sateri Builders and a slum society, Shree Gurukrupa SRA CHS, challenging repeated obstructions to the project. The bench noted that despite the project having been cleared earlier by the court and the Supreme Court, the authorities were still raising fresh objections.
Redevelopment Dispute Since 2020
The dispute relates to a plot and an adjoining D.P. Road plot on Dayaldas Road, which the developer was appointed to redevelop under a Slum Rehabilitation Scheme in November 2020. The SRA had granted a Letter of Intent (LOI) and Intimation of Approval (IOA) in May 2022 after directing the developer to also accommodate persons affected by the road widening (PAPs).
However, some slum dwellers and a rival developer allegedly backed by a local MLA, Parag Alavani (respondent 9), challenged the approvals. Though the Apex Grievance Redressal Committee (AGRC) initially set aside the LOI in July 2022, the high court reinstated it in April 2024, and the apex court upheld that order in May 2024.
Petitioners Accuse MLA of Interference
Society’s advocates Mayur Khandeparkar and Rishi Bhatt too submitted that the project was unnecessarily being stalled due to interference by Alavani.
Developers Claim Project Stymied
Senior advocate Anil Sakhare and advocate Yogesh Sankpal, appearing for the builder, argued that “the entire redevelopment was being systematically stymied at every stage solely due to the interference of Respondent No. 9, acting in support of a rival developer.”
He pointed out that the SRA even issued a fresh notice on July 31, 2025, asking for another proposal for the D.P. Road plot despite its inclusion already being approved and upheld.
Court Pulls Up SRA for Abdicating Duty
The court observed: “It would indeed reflect a most sorry state of affairs when any statutory authority abdicates its statutory duties on account of any extraneous or extrajudicial intervention… Respondent No. 2 (SRA) appears to have done so in the present case.”
State Defends Housing Minister’s Role
Advocate General Birendra Saraf, appearing for the state, clarified that the Housing Minister “merely held a meeting and has not issued any binding directions nor any decision was taken,” and that the SRA must act independently.
HC Orders CC to Be Issued Without Delay
Noting that the builder had complied with its obligations, including rent deposits for PAPs, the court said there was “absolutely no reason” to withhold the CC. It directed the authorities to “complete the procedure and issue the CC” and restrained them from entertaining “any complaints and/or interference from Respondents 8 (Pagrani Universal Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, another developer) and 9 insofar as they pertain to the present slum scheme.”
The court emphasized that the Slums Act is a welfare legislation enacted to improve the living conditions of persons compelled to reside in slums, in poverty, filth and squalor.
“The primary object of the Slums Act is to ensure that slum dwellers are protected from eviction without rehabilitation and are provided with decent, secure, and hygienic housing/living conditions,” the bench added.
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