Nawab Malik's bail plea: Court defers decision till November 30

Mumbai: The order on the bail plea of former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik in a money laundering case is likely to be pronounced on November 30 as a special court here on Thursday said the "order was not ready".

Special judge R N Rokade had on November 14 reserved his order Malik's bail plea and listed it for Thursday after hearing lengthy arguments put forth by both sides.

As the matter came up on Thursday, the court said the order was not ready.

The order is now likely to be pronounced on November 30.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Malik in February this year in a money laundering case linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.

He is in judicial custody and currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital here.

Malik moved a regular bail plea before the special court in July.

The NCP leader sought bail pleading there is no predicate offence against him to prosecute him for money laundering.

The probe agency, however, opposed the bail stating the case registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Dawood Ibrahim and his henchmen is considered as a predicate offence.