NIA may attach 25 properties owned by Zakir Naik after completing audit

Aiming to attach his properties, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is conducting an audit of at least 25 properties in Mumbai owned by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and companies associated with him.
Official sources said that the worth of these properties, which are mostly residential apartments, could be more than Rs 80 crore but a complete evaluation is being done by examining all the documents.
NIA has powers to attach the properties of an accused under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) but the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is also probing money laundering charges against Naik, may also look into the attachment, said sources.
It is suspected that most of the properties owned by Naik, his NGO Islamic Research Foundation and other companies have been purchased over the years using the funds received from foreign countries and domestic contributions. IRF, now banned by the government, was registered as a non-profitable charitable trust. The agency, apart from alleged terror charges, is probing diversion of funds by Naik.
NIA is also questioning several persons associated with IRF and other companies linked to Naik for the past few weeks.
His sister Nailah Naushad Noorani, who was questioned last month, as first reported by TOI, has claimed that she didn’t have any knowledge about the finances as her brother managed it on his own, said sources.
Nailah was director and additional director in five private companies linked to Naik — Harmony Media Pvt Ltd, Longlast Constructions Pvt Ltd, Right Property Solutions Pvt Ltd, Majestic Perfumes and Alpha Lubricants Pvt Ltd.
With Naik in Saudi Arabia, the anti-terror agency is trying to unravel his activities behind the garb of Peace TV and IRF Foundation. In one instance, it was found that Abu Anas, an Islamic State operative from Tonk in Rajasthan, was given Rs 1.5 lakh by IRF Foundation.