ED seeks fresh non-bailable warrant against Zakir Naik in Mumbai court

The enforcement directorate (ED) on Monday approached a special court designated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to issue a fresh non-bailable warrant (NBW) against televangelist Zakir Naik, wanted since 2016 for allegedly laundering money and inciting extremism through hate speeches.

The agency pleaded that Naik has not appeared before the court even after the issuance of summons last week. The court has now scheduled to pass an order on Wednesday.

Last week, Naik’s lawyer Taraq Sayed had approached the special court for two months’ time for him to appear before the court, which it rejected. The special court had issued summons against Naik while taking cognisance of the fresh complaint filed by the ED in July against Dubai-based jeweller Abdul Kadir Najmudin Sathak, booked for assisting Naik raise and diverting funds.

In response, Sayed had moved a plea before the special court on Friday, seeking two more months for compliance of the summons. ED counsel Sanjana Sharma, however, had objected to the plea saying “this is nothing but another attempt to evade the process of law”.

The ED has alleged that Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) had organised Peace Conferences in Mumbai between 2007 and 2011, in which he attempted to convert people and incite terrorist acts. “The said conferences were planned, organised, funded and promoted by the IRF and people of other religions were openly converted to Islam by Naik,” the ED said in a statement. “His inflammatory speeches and lectures have inspired and incited a number of Muslim youths in India to commit unlawful activities and terrorist acts...His thoughts created disharmony amongst various faiths and created hatred.”

Naik was booked by the ED in 2016, after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) registered a case against him. The first charge sheet was filed in 2017. So far, two of Naik’s associates have been arrested in the case. Aamir Gazdar, who allegedly helped Naik route money from Saudi Arabia to India, was arrested in 2017, while Sathak was arrested in March. According to the ED, Sathak was a director of Dubai-based Global Broadcasting Corporation (GBS), which broadcasted videos of Naik’s speeches through the channel Peace TV and social media. Naik’s speeches were recorded and edited at a studio in the city, owned by Harmony Media.

media. Naik’s speeches were recorded and edited at a studio in the city, owned by Harmony Media.

First Published: Sep 17, 2019 00:15 IST