Congress, NCP welcome interim bail granted to former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress on Friday welcomed the interim bail granted to former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik by the Supreme Court on medical grounds in a money laundering case.

Malik, a senior NCP leader, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in February 2022 in a case allegedly linked to the activities of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his associates.

Party's national spokesperson Clyde Crasto thanked the apex court for granting interim bail for two months to the politician, saying the 64-year-old former minister can avail medical treatment for his multiple health issues during this period.

Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress also welcomed the bail granted to Malik, who is in judicial custody and currently undergoing treatment in a private hospital in Mumbai.

The NCP leader had moved the SC against the Bombay High Court's July 13 order denying him bail on medical grounds in the case.

He had sought relief from the HC, claiming he was suffering from a chronic kidney disease apart from various other ailments. The MLA from Anushakti Nagar in Mumbai also sought bail on merit.

The high court had said it will hear his plea seeking bail on merit after two weeks.