Mumbai: As the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has not got any concrete leads from Amir Gazdar, 48, close confidant of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, it is now trying to find the mystery man from London, from whom Gazdar claims to have taken money to repay Rs 4 crore to Naik.
Officials learnt earlier that Naik sent Rs 4 crore to Gazdar from his mother’s account. Gazdar invested the money in properties and a car and later, even returned the amount to Naik. Gazdar was arrested on February 16 and remanded to judicial custody on Wednesday.
During interrogation, Gazdar claimed he was able to return the amount to Naik after his London-based brother gave him the money as a “gift” and relatives too helped him pool the amount. A senior ED officer said, “We have not found any such transactions taking place between Gazdar and any of his brothers. He is making false claims to shield himself and Naik. But it is still not known who arranged the funds for him to repay the money. We are hence trying to find the person who did so and why the money was returned.”
ED officials said the money sent by Naik was part of the unaccounted fortune he made from his inflammatory sermons in foreign countries. This money was sent to Gazdar, which the latter used to buy immovable assets in Mumbai. Gazdar, a marble businessman, was one of the directors in six of the shell companies floated by Naik.
