The Enforcement Directorate’s money laundering probe against absconding preacher Zakir Naik has found undisclosed assets worth over Rs 193 crore — including investments in 20 flats in Mumbai and Pune, besides bank deposits. Naik is accused of diverting funds and donations received from Islamic countries for “welfare of Muslims” to buy real estate.
ED, likely to file a chargesheet soon, has attached Naik’s assets worth Rs 51 crore, including multiple properties and mutual funds of Rs 9.41 crore.ED, in a status report on Naik, said the preacher used his Islamic Research Foundation, meant for Muslim welfare, to organise “dubious donations” and diverted the proceeds to buy properties.
It said Naik raised donations of about Rs 65 crore from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, besides India, between 2004 and 2017. It tracked Rs 49 crore received from unexplained sources in Dubai, which Naik further used to book at least 20 flats in Mumbai and Pune.
The ED’s probe found that Naik booked nine flats worth over Rs 13 crore in Fatima Heights and Aafiyah Heights in Mumbai in the name of his wife and son and 11 flats in Engracia in Pune. “The booking amounts were paid by routing unexplained funds received by Naik through the bank accounts of his wife, son and niece,” a source said. The transaction trail of the Rs 13 crore revealed that the money was routed through the bank accounts of his mother, father and sister. The source of funds remained unexplained, the ED said.
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