New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday attached properties worth 18.37 crore of Islamic Research Foundation in the Zakir Naik money laundering case.
The attachment happened under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, and includes mutual funds, real estate properties and money in his various bank accounts.
The NIA also on the very same day issued a second notice to Zakir Naik asking him to appear before it on March 30 in a case filed against him under an anti-terror law.
Earlier, CNN-News18 got exclusive access to the statement made by his aides to a magistrate in which they allege about Naik's terror tactics and money trail.
Naik's aides allege that the former was in the habit of making offensive statements against Shia and Sunni clerics.
The aides also alleged that Naik is not an authorised preacher and has no certificate from Deoband.
The aides further claimed that Naik used to make speeches offending Hindu gods.
Kanpur express blast accused Atif Muzzafar confessed that Zakir Naik’s hate speech inspired the terror act.
It is alleged that Zakir Naik used his NGO for hawala operation; also, that he transferred crores from his overseas accounts using his sister and wife’s Indian accounts.
Naik started a firm to make software for hate speeches and used to sell them to Dubai-based company named Global Broadcasting Corporation, alleged his aides.
Naik turned an NRI in 2013 and transferred all the money to self and wife's account, alleged his aides.
NIA will attach Naik’s properties if he fails to turn up; he has been on the run since the Dhaka blasts.
An FIR against Naik and his associates was registered by the NIA in November last year.
The Centre had declared Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), an NGO based at Dongri in south Mumbai, an unlawful organisation under the UAPA. The Delhi High Court had recently upheld the decision to immediately ban IRF saying the organisation and its president and members were indulging in "unlawful activity".
Besides the IRF, Naik is also founding trustee of the IRF Educational Trust and the Islamic Dimensions Trust. The speeches of Naik are banned in the UK, Canada and Malaysia.
Naik has rejected all allegations of involvement in terror-related activities and opposed ban on the IRF.
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