Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday moved an application before a special court in Mumbai seeking to declare controversial Islamic preacher, Zakir Naik, a fugitive economic offender. Naik, believed to be in Malaysia, is facing the charge of allegedly laundering money to the tune of Rs193 crore.
The ED filed the application before the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) seeking that Naik be declared as a fugitive economic offender under Fugitive Economic Offenders Act.
The court said it would hear the application on September 30.Last week, the court issued a fresh non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Naik in a 2016 money laundering case.
The central agency has so far arrested two of Naik’s aides namely Amir Gazdar and Najamuddin Sathak.
The 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 ED booked him in 2016 on an FIR filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The controversial preacher is wanted by authorities for alleged money laundering and inciting extremism through hate speeches.
