Mumbai, Aug 11 (IANS): The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail, on medical grounds, to senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik, in connection with an alleged money laundering case.

A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M. Trivedi granted the interim relief for a period of two months purely on medical grounds after noting that Malik is undergoing treatment for kidney 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 recorded in its order.

The Enforcement Directorate, which had arrested Malik in February 2022 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), did not oppose his plea for temporary medical bail before the Supreme Court.

On July 13, the Bombay High Court had rejected his temporary medical bail plea and decided to hear the bail plea on merits after two weeks. Malik was nabbed by the ED in an alleged money-laundering case arising out of an under-valued property deal with underworld links.

After the ED filed a charge sheet, Malik moved the Special PMLA Court for bail in May 2022, which was rejected after which he had challenged it in the Bombay High Court in November 2022.