Addressing the media at the BJP headquarters in Mumbai, Fadnavis disclosed, “A prime property of 2.80 acres at LBS Marg in Kurla was brought by Solidus Investment Private Limited for a meager Rs 30 lakh. The signatory of the deal transacted was Faraz Malik, son of Nawab Malik.” Nawab Malik held a high post in the company but had resigned before taking charge of the ministerial post in the state government in 2019. Malik’s wife, Mehjbeen Nawab Malik, and son, Aamir Malik, are the directors of the company.

Solidus investment is Nawab Malik’s company and land was purchased from these underworld criminals.

3 acre land at LBS road got purchased only for ₹20 lakh.
Original value is ₹3 crore !!!

Why did you purchase land from criminals of Mumbai❓: @Dev_Fadnavis #DevendraFadnavis pic.twitter.com/bvxjfG6ZMm

— @OfficeOfDevendra (@Devendra_Office) November 9, 2021

The NCP minister on his part has refuted these allegations, stating that all transactions were done legally.

According to Fadnavis, after the property deal and registration, the Maliks paid Rs 15 lakh to Sardar Shahwali Ali Khan and Rs 5 lakh to Mohd Salim Patel. Although the deal was of Rs 30 lakh, the actual payment transacted was only Rs 20 lakh, he said.

Fadnavis alleged the property whose market rate was Rs 8,500 per square meter was purchased by Maliks for as little as Rs 25 per square meter.

Both Sardar Shahawali Khan and Salim Patel, with whom Maliks dealt property, have underworld connections, Fadnavis stated.

“Sardar Shahawali Khan is a 1993 Mumbai Bomb blast convict. He is in jail, serving life imprisonment. He was a part of the team which was given firearm training by the mastermind Tiger Memon. Khan also did the recee of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to decide where the bombs should be placed. Khan was present at the meeting held in Tiger Memon’s residence to plot the bomb blast,” Fadnavis said.

In such serious matter where underworld, bomb blast convicts have connections with Minister Nawab Malik, I will submit the documents to appropriate agencies for further investigation : #DevendraFadnavis@Dev_Fadnavis pic.twitter.com/YfxlBn0pVZ

— @OfficeOfDevendra (@Devendra_Office) November 9, 2021

The BJP leader added, “Patel was the frontman and bodyguard of Haseena Parkar alias Appa. Parkar is the sister of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. Patel was given the power of attorney. He dealt with all land grabbing and property deals for Parkar. She was carrying out the activities on behalf of Dawood who was operating from Pakistan.”

“The big question here is why did Nawab Malik and his family purchase land from dreaded underworld criminals. What was the real motive behind the deal?” Fadnavis questioned.

The former chief minister added, “Sardar Shahawali Khan was slapped with TADA. Under this act, all the properties (of the accused) are seized by the government. Therefore, the question is, was Malik trying to help these underworld convicts by showing a deal so that they don’t lose the property? Or was the deal shown on paper a formality and a huge black money transaction was done without any record?”

Refuting the allegations, the NCP minister on Tuesday told reporters, “I have not bought the said property from any person connected to the underworld. I have brought the property from the original owners.”

“There was a watchman of the erstwhile owners named Khan who had managed to create rights on a 300-sq-m plot. I paid money to get these rights surrendered and ensure that he vacated that plot. Everything was done in a legal way and I have all necessary papers to prove this transaction,” Nawab Malik said.

Fadnavis went on to state that the Kurla land deal was just one among five such deals, which took place between 2003 and 2019. However, he said, the details on the other four property deals between Malik and the “underworld” will be submitted to appropriate investigating agencies.

“I will furnish all the documents and details to the appropriate agencies including CBI, ED, IT and police,” the former chief minister said. A set of documents will be provided to NCP president Sharad Pawar, he said.

The opposition leader denied any political vendetta, stating that he has “no personal enmity with Malik or his family.” However, he added that Malik, who holds press conferences daily, has been mischievously targeting BJP and its leaders to malign their image.

“I have provided bare facts. There is no question of hitting at NCP or individual leaders,” he said. “However, whatever information has come to us about Malik and the underworld is a cause of serious concern,” Fadnavis added.