- ED booked Zakir Naik in 2016 on an FIR filed by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA)
- Televangelist wanted since 2016 for inciting extremism through hate speeches
- The ED pleaded that Mr. Naik had not appeared before the court even after the issuance of summons.
New Delhi: A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court judge PP Rajvaidya 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, who is probing the case and have claimed to identify Rs.193.06 crore as the proceeds of the crime in the 2016 case. The ED booked him in 2016 on an FIR filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Naik, a 53-year-old radical television preacher, left India in 2016 and subsequently moved to the largely Muslim Malaysia, where he was granted permanent residency. The controversial preacher is wanted by authorities for alleged money laundering and inciting extremism through hate speeches.
In July this year, the court issued summons against Naik after taking cognisance of a complaint filed by the ED against Dubai-based jeweller Abdul Kadir Najmudin Sathak for allegedly assisting the preacher in raise and diverting funds.
Earlier, the agency had attached Naik’s properties, including Islamic International School in Chennai, ten flats, three godowns, two buildings and land in Pune and Mumbai, besides bank accounts.
