MUMBAI: Former Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik was on Monday discharged from a private hospital here, three days after the Supreme Court granted him interim bail for two months on medical grounds in a money laundering case.
One-and-a-half years after his arrest, Malik was discharged from the hospital in suburban Kurla, where he was undergoing treatment while being in judicial custody, at around 8 pm, his lawyers said.
Earlier in the day, a special court set his bail conditions, one of which barred him from talking to the media.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested the former state minister in February 2022 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a case allegedly linked to fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his associates.
The 64-year-old politician has been undergoing treatment at the private hospital since May 2022 for a kidney-related ailment.
The special court granted his release on a cash bond of Rs 50,000.
The other conditions imposed by the special court are that he shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat, or promises to any persons/witnesses acquainted with the facts of the case.
It also directed the accused to hand over his original passport to the ED, which is probing the case.
Malik shall not indulge in any criminal activities and provide all his details in respect of medical examination to the central agency, said the special court.
The Supreme Court had on Friday granted Malik interim bail for two months on medical grounds.
A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi noted that the senior politician is in hospital for treatment of a kidney-related disease and other ailments.
"We are passing the order strictly on medical conditions and have not entered into the merits of the case," the bench had said while granting the interim bail.
Malik had sought relief from the Bombay High Court, claiming he was suffering from a chronic kidney disease apart from various other ailments.
He also sought bail on merit.
The HC, however, had rejected the NCP leader's plea for relief on medical grounds and is expected to hear his bail application on merit.
The ED's case against Malik is based on an FIR filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Ibrahim, a designated global terrorist and a key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts, and his associates under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule, a key leader of the NCP faction led by party founder Sharad Pawar, hailed the interim bail granted to Malik as the "victory of truth".
"I came here to receive my brother. Satyamev Jayate!" Sule said outside the hospital, where Malik was admitted.
"I have always stressed that the arrest of Nawab Malik or former home minister Anil Deshmukh or Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut (both were arrested earlier and are now out on bail) was unfortunate. Finally, we got justice through the court," the Lok Sabha MP from Baramati told reporters.
Asked about Malik's daughter and brother meeting Deputy Chief Minister and rebel NCP leader Ajit Pawar a few days back, Sule said her visit to the hospital did not have any political angle.
Queried on Narendra Rane, an Ajit Pawar loyalist, asking several of his supporters to welcome Malik outside the hospital, Sule said she was not aware of it.
"When Anil Deshmukh was released (from jail in late 2022), I had come to receive him. Similarly, I have come here to receive Nawab bhai. Unfortunately, he had faced injustice and he tolerated it for a long time. The truth has finally come out via court. It is a big relief for all of us. It was a very difficult period for all of us," she said.
Sule said she had closely seen the suffering of family members of Malik and Deshmukh.
"The Supreme Court has finally given bail to Malik for two months. I hope it will get extended further. I am thankful to the court for giving him justice," she said.