Muslim preacher Zakir Naik ran an NGO worth more than INR 18.37 crore whose assets have been confiscated on Indian government's orders.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) provisionally attached properties of Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) of Zakir Naik and others under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The assets include mutual fund, real estate and bank balances.
According to ED, Naik has avoided all the four summons issued to him. It claims that the preacher’s speeches have been either routed and transferred or utilized for the purpose other than for which they have been generated by way of creating communal disharmony and for inciting the Muslim youths and terrorists.
“In view of their involvement in the case and laundering assets thereof properties controlled by them directly or indirectly become liable for attachment under the section 2 (1) (u) of PMLA Act. Accordingly, a Provisional Attachment Order attaching Mutual Fund having value of Rs. 9.41 Cr (Approx.) of IRF, a go down having value of Rs. 0.68 Cr.(Approx.) of M/s Harmony media Pvt. limited and a school building of having value of Rs 7.05 Cr. (Approx.) belonging to Islamic Education Trust Chennai have been issued. Apart from these, 5 Bank accounts of IRF having balances of Rs. 1.23 Crore (approximately) also have been attached provisionally,” added the agency in its statement.
In November 2016, India banned IRF for five years as an ‘unlawful organisation’ whereas all the foreign donations were also suspended.
The preacher is under the scanner after the Dhaka café attack in July which claimed the lives of at least 20 hostages.
Bangladesh has allegedly declared that two of the suspected terrorists involved in the attack were influenced by Dr Zakir Naik’s speeches.
Dr Zakir while rejecting the allegations has said that his statements and speeches have been doctored.