PMLA court reserves order on bail plea filed by Sathak

Mumbai: The special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Wednesday reserved order on the bail application filed by controversial televangelist Dr Zakir Naik’s aide Abdul Kadir Najmuddin Sathak.

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has opposed his bail plea saying he failed to come clean and is unable to answer many questions on revenue generation from Peace TV on which Mr Naik’s speeches were broadcasted.  

Advocate Hiten Venegaokar on behalf of ED contended before the special PMLA court judge MS Azmi that there is no substance in Sathak’s claim that he took the route of Nepal to enter India because he wanted to hire labours and take them with him to UAE for his company.  

Advocate Venegaokar argued that Sathak wanted to go to Nepal from Delhi airport but he was not aware that for going to Nepal also he would be required to undergo immigration process where it was found that probe agency was after him and hence he was detained. Had he knew this he would have used the same route to go back to UAE which he used to enter India.

Advocate Girish Kulkarni on behalf of Sathak on Wednesday claimed that in his statement recorded by ED Sathak has already given entire money trail.

He pointed out from his statement in which Sathak has stated that crown prince of UAE and his family members and others donated funds for Peace TV and hence there is no connection of Dr Zakir Naik with this money and hence it cannot be said that the applicant helped Naik launder money or Naik’s money was involved in his company.

The judge would pass an order on this plea on Thursday.