Enforcement Directorate on Monday provisionally attached properties of Zakir Naik-led Islamic Research Foundation worth Rs. 18.37 crore under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in the form of mutual fund, real estate properties and bank balances.
Earlier in November last year, the Enforcement Directorate had registered money laundering case against Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) on the basis of FIR registered by National Investigation Agency (NIA).
It was alleged that Naik, through his provocative utterances, promotes enmity and hatred between different religious groups in India. IRF was declared as unlawful under Section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
During the PMLA investigation, Naik avoided all the four summons issued to him. Accordingly, a Provisional Attachment Order attaching mutual fund having value of Rs. 9.41 crore of IRF, a godown having value of Rs. 0.68 crore of Harmony media Pvt. limited and a school building of having value of Rs 7.05 crore belonging to Islamic Education Trust Chennai have been issued.
Apart from these, five bank accounts of IRF having balances of Rs. 1.23 crore have also been attached provisionally.
With inputs from ANI