PETALING JAYA: India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed an application to declare controversial preacher Dr Zakir Naik, currently based in Malaysia, a “fugitive” offender.
The latest development will help India in the extradition process of Naik, officials said.
According to India Today, the directorate filed its application yesterday before the designated court in Mumbai to declare Naik a fugitive under the Economic Offenders Act.
Under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act 2018, the officials said effective action can be taken against economic offenders who have fled Indian jurisdiction.
It provides for attachment and confiscation of property of fugitive economic offenders and disqualifies them from defending any civil claim.
The news portal said that if Naik is declared a fugitive, the ED will also have the power to attach his overseas properties.
A Mumbai court had already issued a fresh non-bailable warrant (NBW) last week against Naik in an alleged money laundering case in 2016.
Last week, Naik had moved a plea through his lawyer seeking two months to appear before the court, but it was rejected, the portal said.
It said the ED had claimed to have identified 193.06 crore rupees (RM113.4 million) as the proceeds of crime in the 2016 case.
Naik, who was recently barred from delivering any religious speech in Malaysia, is facing charges of promoting terrorism and disrupting communal peace in society.
The investigative agencies have also alleged that he was involved in forceful conversions of people from different religions to Islam, India Today said.
The National Investigative Agency (NIA) and Enforcement Directorate have filed a charge sheet against the preacher and have been trying to bring him back to India from Malaysia, it said. - FMT
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