NEW DELHI - Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, whose speeches were alleged to have inspired one the gunmen responsible for the Dhaka café attack that cost 22 lives, has been charged with money laundering by the Enforcement Directorate, according to the agency’s filing in a Mumbai court.
The ED, the central agency mandated to probe financial crimes, told the court that it had linked assets worth Rs 193 crore as proceeds of crime.
The agency has already attached Rs 50.46 crore assets, the agency said in its second charge-sheet against the televangelist.
Indian agencies had woken up to the controversial preacher’s speeches after one of the gunmen who participated in the 2016 Bangladesh attack told investigators that he was inspired by Naik’s speeches on his private channel, Peace TV.
The channel, which reportedly broadcast from Dubai, was founded by the televangelist in 2006.