Mumbai: Taking the attachment of assets in case against controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik further, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), on Saturday, attached his properties worth Rs 16.40 crore. The ED officials revealed that the properties are situated in Mumbai, Bhandup in eastern suburbs and in Pune.
The ongoing investigation, based on chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in October 2017, revealed that Naik concealed the origin of funds and the ownership of these properties. This is the third attachment by the ED in the case taking the total value of assets attached to Rs 50.49 crore, ED officials said.
Investigators found that the payments made from Naik’s bank account were rerouted as refund and the money was later moved to the accounts held in the name of his wife, son and niece. The money was then again routed to make fresh bookings of the properties for which his family members were shown as owners, instead of himself.
“In order to disguise the origin of funds and real ownership of the properties, the initial payments made from Naik’s bank account were refunded and diverted to the accounts of his wife, son and niece and re-routed again for the purpose of making bookings in the name of the family members rather than Naik. This has been revealed from the money trail established by the ED,” the agency said.
The attached properties, held in the name of the family members, have been identified at Fatima Heights and Aafiyah Heights in Mumbai, a project in eastern suburb of Bhandup and one at Engracia in Pune. The probe hinted to the receival of funds from the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) that received donation from several known and unknown sources, mostly from the overseas.
The ED officials also said that Naik’s speeches were to insult the religious beliefs of Hindus, Christians and non-Wahabi Muslims, including the Shias, Sufis and the Barelwis to outrage the religious following.
A multi-agency probe be-gun against Naik in Dec-ember 2016 after a case was registered against him, the IRF and Harm-ony Media Pvt Ltd, the media arm owned by Na-ik, as per the provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
