Indian agency attaches assets worth Rs164m in Zakir Naik case

Asia World

Indian agency attaches assets worth Rs164m in Zakir Naik case

The total value of all Naik-related properties attached by the ED stands at Rs504.9m

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has appended properties worth over Rs164 million (Rs16.40 crore) in its progressing examination against Islamic preacher and TV preacher Zakir Abdul Karim Naik, the office said on Saturday.

In an announcement, the ED said the appended properties were situated in Maharashtra's Mumbai and Pune urban communities and that the move was made under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED had officially made two temporary connections worth Rs34.09 crore regarding the case which the organization assumed control based on National Investigation Agency (NIA's) October 26, 2017 chargesheet documented under the watchful eye of a Special Judge in Mumbai.

The all out estimation of all Zakir Naik-related properties joined by the ED remains at Rs504.9m, including the most recent connection.

The ED said that assets to the tune of Rs 49.20 crore were gotten in the NRE Bank records of Naik in India from his Dubai accounts.

"The root of these stores was from obscure sources. Naik utilized the assets to the tune of Rs17.65 crore for buy of properties from developers like Salim Kodia, accomplice in MK Enterprises; Munaf Vadgama, accomplice in Aafiyah Realtors; Sameer Khan, accomplice in Pacific Orient Genesis Associates; Musa Lakdawala, accomplice of Lakdawala and Yash Associates; Fatima Heights (Mumbai); Aafiyah Heights (Mumbai); ENGRACIA (Pune) and an undertaking at Bhandup, Mumbai," the ED explanation said.

In an offer to conceal the starting point of assets and genuine responsibility for, the ED said the underlying installment produced using the record of Naik was discounted and redirected to the records of his better half, child and niece and rerouted again to make appointments for the sake of relatives instead of Naik.

"This has been uncovered from the cash trail built up by ED," said the announcement.

As per the NIA charge Sheet, Naik "purposely and noxiously offended the religious convictions of Hindus, Christians and non-Wahabi Muslims, especially Shia, Sufi and Barelwis, with an aim of shocking their religious emotions".

Islamic Research Foundation and Harmony Media had been instrumental in most extreme flow of such implicating addresses, said the chargesheet, including that for such exercises, Naik was getting assets from Islamic Research Foundation just as other obscure sources," read the chargesheet.

In November 2016, the NIA had enlisted an argument against Naik - who is as of now living in Malaysia and has been conceded changeless occupant status there - under the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The evangelist went ahead the security organizations' radar after a few psychological militants, purportedly associated with the assault on a bistro in Dhaka in July 2016, apparently asserted they were motivated by his talks.

On November 17, 2016, India proclaimed Naik's Mumbai-based NGO Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) an unlawful relationship under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.