Televangelist Zakir Naik’s properties in Mumbai to be attached

NIA seeks permission on grounds that he may sell them to raise money

As televangelist Dr Zakir Naik, who was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act two years ago, remains an “absconder”, a special court for the national investigating agency (NIA) on Thursday ordered that his four properties in Mazagaon be attached.

Naik was declared a proclaimed offender on June 15, 2017 (HT file)

Naik was declared a proclaimed offender on June 15, 2017. Within a month, the agency sought attachment of his two flats in Jasmine Apartment, one flat in Maria Heights and a shop in Crystal Apartment.

While seeking permission to attach these properties, the prosecutor for the agency, Anand Sukhdev, said Naik was trying to sell these properties, as his funding from various sources has been stopped after NIA registered a case against him. The agency said he was trying to obtain citizenship in foreign countries, and was trying to raise money through the sale.

The plea was objected by Naik’s lawyer Amin Solkar, but the court rejected the objection, observing that “at any rate, fugitive accused against whom non-bailable warrants is pending and is also declared as proclaimed offender, cannot claim rights to be heard though his advocate”.

NIA registered a case against Naik a day after his organisation, the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), was declared “unlawful” by the government in November 2016. Naik was accused of inciting youth to take up terror activities by the government.

The NIA had alleged: “Naik has been promoting enmity between different religious groups in India through his public speeches and lectures on various platforms and inciting Muslim youth and terrorist in India and abroad to commit unlawful activities and terror acts.”