Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik was arrested today in connection with a money laundering case involving the fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim. The arrest comes after his clash with Sameer Wankhede, the officer in charge of drug cases on the yacht.
Here are five things to know about Nawab Malik:
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Maharashtra’s cabinet minister in charge of minority development, Nawab Malik is also a spokesman for the National Congress Party and is known to be close to leader Sharad Pawar.
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A five-time MLA from Mumbai’s Anushakti Nagar, Mr Malik is one of the few Muslim faces in the NCP, which is largely seen as a Maratha-centered party.
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Mr. Malik started his political career with Parliament but dropped out to join the Samajwadi Party. In 2001, he was expelled, then he joined the Kuomintang.
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Nawab Malik, a member of the then National Assembly-NCP government, resigned as minister in 2005 after the PB Sawant Judiciary Committee, which was investigating the allegations by activist Anna Hazare, prosecuted him in a corruption case.
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Following the arrest of megastar Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan in a drug case in October, Nawab Malik’s frequently controversial accusations against Sameer Wankhede have made him a household name. Led by Mr Wankhede, the Drug Control Department arrested Malik’s son-in-law Sameer Khan in a drug case in January 2021.
