Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will appeal in the Bombay high court against the release of Amir Gazdar, a close confidant of televangelist Zakir Naik, almost three weeks after he was granted bail by a special PMLA court. The appeal to cancel Gazdar’s bail would be filed in a week, officials said.
The ED had arrested Gazdar in February, for what the agency said was a pivotal role he played in investing the slush money of the televangelist in Mumbai and other cities. Gazdar was eventually granted a bail on July 12.
The ED officials said Gazdar’s bail came as a surprise citing his role and the charges pressed on him in the 245-paged chargesheet that was filed against him. Gazdar was allegedly Naik’s point man in Mumbai and would receive money collected in the form of overseas donations from Naik. Those funds would be used to invest in properties and other assets, many of which have been attached by the ED and other agencies.
“Gazdar has been a shrewd operative of Naik and facilitated him for years by not only utilizing his funds but also by being one of the directors in six of his shell companies. We will put up the detailed facts before the HC seeking cancellation of his bail,” said an ED officer.
Gazdar was a director in Naik’s Universal Broadcasting Corporation Ltd, Lords Production Inc Ltd, both based in England, along with Longlast Constructions Ptv Ltd, Majestic Perfumes Pvt Ltd, Aplha Lubricants Pvt Ltd and Harmony Media Pvt Ltd, all based in Mumbai.
ED’s investigations revealed that Naik had sent Rs 4 crore between 2015-2016 to Gazdar that was systematically transferred it to bank accounts of his family members. The money was later used to buy a BMW car, property in Mazgaon’s Infinity Tower, officials said. Around Rs 2.4 crore was transferred to his son’s bank accounts.
Despite these details, Gazdar always put the onus on Naik and kept claiming that he knew nothing about it all. The officials had also found active role of Naik’s sister Nailah Noorani in the act of crime and she was also questioned two times.
