The ED’s action sparked off furious protests by NCP party members who gathered in large numbers outside the ED office within hours, and the Mumbai Police subsequently imposed strict bandobast at the spot as well as around it. MVA leaders and ministers were quick to condemn the move saying that the Center was using central agencies for its own agenda once again.Malik has been engaged in a bitter battle with central agencies since last year, particularly the Narcotics Control Bureau, ever since the drug enforcement agency arrested his son-in-law Sameer in January 2021. The same year, immediately after the arrest of Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Malik launched a series of attacks against the NCB and its zonal director Sameer Wankhede. Malik has accused Wankhede of a string of serious misdemeanors, including framing innocent people in drug cases, lying about his caste while taking up his government job and obtaining a bar licence despite not being of legal age. Wankhede recently received a clean chit in connection with the cast allegations while on Wednesday even as Malik was being questioned by the ED, Wankhede visited the Kopri police station in Thane for enquiries regarding the bar licence issue.As expected, Malik has faced heavy backlash from the BJP for his continued onslaught and BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had earlier hinted that Malik would soon find himself in the ED’s crosshairs. The very next day, the ED started conducting raids at Waqf Board properties in Maharashtra.Interestingly, the FIR which makes up the basis of the ED’s action against Iqbal as well as Malik is itself mired in controversy. In 2017, the anti extortion cell of the Thane Police had arrested Iqbal from Mumbai charging him with extortion and criminal intimidation. Iqbal was alleged to have forcibly taken over residential flats as well as extorted money from builders Jewelers and Businessman based in Thane. He was arrested by former encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma who was at the time leading the Thane Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC).
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