A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Wednesday issued a fresh non-bailable warrant against controversial televangelist Zakir Naik, wanted since 2016 for allegedly laundering money and inciting extremism through hate speeches. The warrant was issued after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) approached the court last week.
The agency pleaded that Mr. Naik had not appeared before the court even after the issuance of summons.
Last week, Mr. Naik’s lawyer Taraq Sayed had approached the court seeking two months’ time for him to appear before the court, which was rejected. The court had then issued summons against Mr. 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 Mr. Naik raise and divert funds. In response, Mr. Sayed had moved the special court on September 13 seeking two more months for compliance of the summons. ED’s counsel Sanjana Sharma, however, objected saying “this is nothing but another attempt to evade the process of law.”
The ED has alleged that Mr. Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) organised peace conferences in Mumbai between 2007 and 2011, in which he attempted to convert people and incite terrorist acts. The conferences were planned, organised, funded and promoted by the IRF and people of other faiths were openly converted to Islam by Mr. Naik, ED alleged.
His inflammatory speeches and lectures inspired and incited a number of Muslim youths in India to commit unlawful activities and terrorist acts. His thoughts created disharmony and hatred among various faiths, the agency contended.
Mr. Naik was booked by the ED in 2016, after the National Investigation Agency registered a case against him. The first charge sheet was filed in 2017. So far, two of Mr Naik’s associates have been arrested in the case. Aamir Gazdar, who allegedly helped Mr. Naik route money from Saudi Arabia to India, was arrested in 2017, while Mr. Sathak was arrested in March. According to the ED, Mr. Sathak was a director of Dubai-based Global Broadcasting Corporation, which broadcast videos of Mr. Naik’s speeches through Peace TV channel and social media. Mr. Naik’s speeches were recorded and edited at a studio in the city owned by Harmony Media.
