Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargehseet against terror preacher Zakir Naik and others in Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Special Court for laundering money to the tune of Rs 193 crore. This is the second chargesheet against Naik and others. The agency has sought punishment to the accused and confiscation of attached properties to the tune of Rs. 50.46 crores for involvement in money laundering.
The attached properties belonging to Naik, including investment in mutual funds, Islamic International School in Chennai,10 residential flats, three godowns, two buildings and land in Pune and Mumbai and 10 bank accounts worth Rs 50.46 crores.
Proceeds of Crime totalling Rs. 193.06 crores have been quantified in the case. Other than these attachments, investigation in respect of investments of Zakir Naik in Dubai to ascertain to identify the properties outside the country is under progress, the ED said in a statement.
ED has initiated investigation based on the FIR registered by NIA against Naik and his associates for his involvement in unlawful activities through his provocative utterances, thus promoting enmity and hatred between different religious groups in India. The NIA has filed a Final Report/Charge sheet before the court of Special Judge, NIA, Mumbai on October 26, 2017.
Investigation under the PMLA revealed that IRF received during the period from the year 2003-04 to 2016-17 an amount to the tune of Rs. 64.86 crore mostly from various dubious/suspicious/unknown sources. Majority of the funds were utilised for organising the so called Peace conferences. “It was during these peace conferences that provocative speeches were made and religious conversion to Islam were propagated. The IRF received donations in response to the appeals made by Zakir Naik during the course of his controversial speeches and thus these donations were proceeds of crime emanating from criminal activity. Money trail led to identification of one school building in Chennai valued at Rs 6.2 Crore, mutual funds of Rs 9.41 Crore and ground floor of a building in Mumbai and these were provisionally attached,” the ED said..
Investigations also revealed that funds to the tune of Rs 49.20 crore were received during the period from the year 2012 to 2016 from Zakir Naik’s accounts maintained in UAE to his personal accounts in India.
Source of his income in United Arab Emirates is not known. He transferred these funds to India and purchased properties in Mumbai and Pune by layering of funds in the name of his close relatives, the agency added.
Investigation has also revealed that Zakir Naik was also involved in suspicious unaccounted cash transactions.