Connect with us
Tuesday,13-May-2025
Breaking News

Maharashtra

Malik becomes first serving Maha minister to be held for money laundering, sent to 8-day ED custody

Published

on

A special PMLA court in Mumbai on Wednesday remanded Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik to eight-day ED custody till March 3, nearly 15 hours after his pre-dawn dramatic detention, interrogation and arrest in an alleged money-laundering case arising out of a tainted land deal.

Malik was produced by the Enforement Directorate (ED) before the special court eight hours after his detention and arrest on Wednesday evening, following which a furious legal battle ensued for his 14-day remand with the defence team opposing the same.

The development gave a massive jolt to the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government as Malik became the first sitting Cabinet minister to be arrested, sending tremors in the political circles.

After a series of meetings with top leaders of Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress, it was decided that irrespective of the court orders, Malik would not be compelled to resign as the Minority Affairs Minister.

On Wednesday afternoon, ED Assistant Director Niraj Kumar said in his arrest order that the agency had “reason to believe” that Malik “has been found guilty of an offence punishable under the provisions of PMLA,” and accordingly placed him under arrest at 2.45 pm.

Shortly after the formal arrest, Malik was whisked away by an ED team to a government hospital for a medical check-up from where he was taken to the designated special PMLA court.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh represented the ED while senior counsel Amit Desai appeared on Malik’s behalf, as the minister’s colleagues, political activists and relatives reached the court.

While he was escorted out of the ED office by the CISF, police and ED staff, a grinning Malik in a white kurta-pyjama was seen raising a fist in the air, and declaring: “Jhookenge Nahin, Ladenge Aur Jeetenge” (Will not succumb, will fight and win) to his supporters as he was made to sit in a vehicle.

The fast-paced developments started with an ED team along with a CISF team knocking at Malik’s home at around 4.30 am and taking him away a couple of hours later for questioning in the 17-year-old Kurla land deal case having a mafia taint, with an alleged money-laundering angle emerging from it.

The ED had deployed teams of the CISF and Mumbai Police for the operation even as a large number of NCP workers staged a noisy protest outside the agency’s office since morning to protest against the detention of Malik.

Malik, 62, became the first sitting minister and the second senior NCP leader in the MVA government to be arrested by the ED. Former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh was arrested by the ED on November 2, 2021 in alleged corruption and money-laundering cases.

Malik’s arrest triggered hectic political activity with NCP President Sharad Pawar rushing to meet Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal Balasaheb Thorat, Ashok Chavan and others in an urgent meeting held on Wednesday evening.

The MVA partners and top leaders like Pawar, Jayant Patil, Supriya Sule, Majeed Memon, Chhagan Bhujbal, Vidya Chavan, Sanjay Raut, Kishore Tiwari, Nana Patole, Chavan, Naseem Khan, and others slammed the ED for the action against Malik, saying they would not be “cowed down” by the vendetta politics and targetting of opponents, and “silencing” them by letting loose central probe agencies on them.

Simultaneously, the opposition BJP sharpened its swords and intensified efforts to bring down the MVA government before its declared deadline of March 10.

Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis termed the matter as “extremely serious” since the land worth crores of rupees was allegedly grabbed at a throwaway price with persons linked to absconding mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, colluding with enemies of the country, and the proceeds were laundered for terror funding and anti-national activities.

BJP state President Chandrakant Patil demanded that since Malik has been arrested, he should quit, as also all other ministers facing various allegations should resign from the Cabinet immediately, failing which the BJP would launch an agitation on the streets.

The MVA leaders announced a sit-in at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi near Mantralaya at Nariman Point on Thursday morning, besides announcing statewide protests against Malik’s arrests, highlighting how the central probe agencies are being misused to topple the Maharashtra government and other states ruled by the Opposition parties.

Maharashtra

Maharashtra: Conspiracy to spread religious hatred foiled, one arrested

Published

on

Mumbai: Uncovering a conspiracy to spread religious hatred in Mumbai, Maharashtra, the cyber department has claimed to have arrested a chartered accountant who tried to disturb law and order by circulating derogatory images of Hindu deities on social media. After this, the police took the matter seriously and solved the case. Maharashtra Cyber ​​has claimed to have arrested a person for insulting Hindu deities and making obscene images viral on social media. The arrest has been made in the case of spreading religious hatred and trying to create unrest on social media. Maharashtra Cyber ​​has registered a case under sections 1963, 294, 299 of the BNS and the IT Act. The accused has also shared obscene and nude images and videos of Hindu deities on social media and websites, which created a problem of order and discipline.

After the arrest of the accused, his mobile phone has been sent for forensic examination. Along with this, 6 X-accounts have also been identified on which Hindu deities were insulted and obscene images were made viral. In this case, 7 Twitter X-accounts have also been identified, which are fake accounts. This action was taken to spread religious hatred and unrest in Maharashtra, along with disturbing law and order. Maharashtra Cyber ​​has taken action in this case where pictures and videos of deities were made viral to deify them. The accused has been identified as a 39-year-old chartered accountant and further investigation has been initiated, informed Additional DG of Maharashtra Cyber ​​Cell, Yashasvi Yadav.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

BJP leader Navneet Rana in a state of shock after receiving death threats from Pakistan

Published

on

Mumbai: BJP leader and former MP Navneet Rana has received a death threat from a Pakistani number, after which the Mumbai Police has started investigating the matter. The threatening message states that the Hindu lioness who recites Hanuman Chalisa is a short-term guest and will be flying soon. Navneet Rana has informed the Mumbai Police about this and the police have taken steps in its investigation. All the phone calls have been received from a Pakistani number. Navneet Rana has reported this to the Khar Police Station.

Last year, Navneet Rana had also received a threat. This threatening message was sent on WhatsApp in the form of a video clip and this threat was received from Afghanistan, Pakistan. Now Navneet Rana has received a threat again from Pakistan. Two days ago, Navneet Rana had issued a statement against Pakistan praising Operation Sindoor and said that they have entered the house and killed you, they have dug your grave, After this, Navneet Rana has now received threatening calls from a Pakistani number. The police have started investigating and are trying to find out from which number the call was made and whose number the call was received from. After receiving the threatening message, the Mumbai police has now increased Navneet’s security and security has also been tightened at her house in Mumbai.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Case registered against Muslim youth for posting Pakistani flag on Instagram in Kurla

Published

on

Mumbai: In Mumbai’s Kurla Kasaiwada Quresh Nagar, the Chuna Bhatti police have claimed to have arrested a Muslim youth for posting the national flag of Pakistan on Instagram in support of the country. The Hindu Circle Samaj in Chuna Bhatti police had filed a complaint after the social media post and the post had also gone viral on social media in which it was written that this terrorist lives in Kasaiwada, Mumbai. Share this post so that he can be caught and a case of treason and treason can be filed against this jihadi. After this post went viral on social media, the Mumbai police also took action and after tracking down the youth, he arrested him.

During the police investigation, the young man admitted that he had posted the Pakistani flag on his Instagram account Sahil Khan. After the police action, the Instagram account has been deleted. However, the police have collected other details including the Instagram post. The police have registered a case against Sahil Khan under sections 152,153 of the BNS and further investigation is underway. Sahil Khan is also accused of waging war against the country and inciting it and spreading hatred and endangering the integrity of the country. The war between India and Pakistan has ended, but the Mumbai police is keeping an eye on the controversial post. Therefore, Muslim youth have been appealed to avoid controversial and anti-national posts. If anyone posts such a post, strict action will be taken against him and he will have to go behind bars. Sahil Khan’s arrest has been confirmed by Senior Inspector Nisha Jadhav of Mumbai’s Chuna Bhatti Police Station and said that he has been arrested after registering a complaint and further investigation is underway.

Continue Reading

Trending