DELHI – On Monday Indian authorities launched a major crackdown against Islamic scholar and televangelist Zakir Naik and attached properties worth Rs 183.7 million in the form of mutual funds, real estate properties and bank balances of Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), reported Hindustan Times.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached properties after Naik failed to appear in person before the agency despite four summons served to him.
The attachment includes mutual fund worth Rs. 9.41 crore of Naik’s IRF, a warehouse worth Rs. 68 lakh belonging to M/s Harmony Media Private Limited and a school building worth Rs 7.05 crore belonging to Islamic Education Trust in Chennai. In addition, five Bank accounts belonging to IRF with balances of Rs. 1.23 crore have been attached provisionally.
“The investigations revealed that the proceeds of crime generated through the provocative speeches by Naik has been either routed and transferred or utilized for the purpose other than for which they have been generated by way of creating communal disharmony and for inciting the Muslim youths and terrorists,” Hindustan Times quoted an ED officer.
