Tribunal restrains ED From taking over Dr Zakir Naik’s assets; asks why no action against babas?

News Network
January 10, 2018

New Delhi, Jan 10: After NIA suffered an embarrassment with quashing of its Red Corner Notice request by the Interpol, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday was pulled up by a judicial tribunal over its investigation against peace activist and Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik.

Justice Manmohan Singh, who heads the Appellate Tribunal for PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) at New Delhi, restrained the agency from taking over Dr Naik’s properties attached by the agency, and drew a parallel between Naik and self-styled spiritual leader Asaram Bapu.

"I can name 10 babas who have properties worth more than Re 10,000 crore each and they are facing criminal cases. Have you acted against even one of them? What have you done against Asaram Bapu?" it asked the counsel for the ED.

Raising questions whether ED was being selective in acting against Dr Naik, the Tribuna’s chairman observed that the agency seems to have done nothing in the last 10 years about confiscating properties of Asaram but looked to act a lot quicker in this case.

The central probe agency, in March last year, had attached a school building in Chennai and a warehouse as part of its provisional attachment in the case and it was carried out under the stringent criminal provision of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

As per the legal scheme under the Act, such an order goes to the Adjudicating Authority for final approval and in case the ED's action is endorsed, the affected party can appeal it before the Appellate Authority of the law.

The Appellate Authority (PMLA), now in a recent order, directed the agency to restrain from taking possession of the said attached immovable assets even as it posed several queries and questioned the agency's action in the case.

Official sources in the ED said the agency will appeal the order of the Appellate Authority or the Tribunal before a High Court and that it was not a "set back" in the case.

Officials said the tribunal order has not "quashed" the attachment but has directed that status quo be maintained. The tribunal, they said, has at the same time not barred the agency "from taking possession" of the movable assets attached in the same order that includes mutual funds worth about Rs. 9.41 crore and five bank accounts containing deposits worth Rs. 1.23 crore in the name of Naik's NGO Islamic Research Foundation (IRF).

Agency sources said the investigation conducted by the ED officials is independent of the NIA and that it has found that these assets were created by Naik and his associates using alleged "tainted funds".

The Adjudicating Authority had approved the ED order after being satisfied by the investigation, they said, adding this will be a point made in the appeal to the High Court.

The ED is looking into the charges of alleged laundering of illegal funds in the case and the subsequent proceeds of crime thus generated.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had first registered a case against the 51-year-old Naik under antiterrorism laws in 2016 for allegedly promoting enmity between different religious groups.

The NIA and Mumbai Police, subsequently, had also carried out searches at 10 places in Mumbai including residential premises of some of the office bearers of the foundation run by Naik.

The foundation was earlier put on restricted list by the Home Ministry for receiving funds from abroad.

Comments

All officers?. Even the ones who have Muslim names? Or Christian names?.. All of them belong to RSS? Great.

His sayings are based on truth, his speeches based on reality but people like you are not ready to listen or accept the truth. You always want to follow cheater swamis and don't try to know the truth.

zahoor ahmed
 - 
Wednesday, 10 Jan 2018

Dr.Naik speak truth. People like saffron group dislike truth and they want to hide the truth from common people. 

Ganesh
 - 
Wednesday, 10 Jan 2018

Right thing asked. 

Vivek
 - 
Wednesday, 10 Jan 2018

Ban his speeches in India. Only fearless Modi ji can do that. and he will do that soon.

Unknown
 - 
Wednesday, 10 Jan 2018

No news of ZN in these days. Soon he will be behind bars. His speeches are so provocative. Degrading other religions. He should be punished

Sangeeth
 - 
Wednesday, 10 Jan 2018

The main reason behind the enquiry of ZN source of income was terror link and funding.

Yogesh
 - 
Wednesday, 10 Jan 2018

Because babas not involving in terror activities and they dont have any funding from terrorists org

shahid
 - 
Wednesday, 10 Jan 2018

All officers are RSS minded people. thats why they are biased to others. zakir naik is a muslim right

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News Network
July 19,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 19: Senior JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday advised the Karnataka government to utilise the services of private medical colleges in treating Covid-19 patients, by taking them into confidence, instead of threatening them with license cancellation for not complying with directives.

He also said a concentrated effort should be taken in the fight against coronavirus. "It was wrong for any hospital to deny treatment. It is also not correct on part of the government to threaten the private medical colleges with cancellation of their licence for that reason. It won't be of any help at this time of medical emergency.

Remember that MCI has the authority to cancel licenses, not government," Kumaraswamy tweeted. "Instead of showing fury on private medical colleges at such a time, concentrate on taking their service by taking them into confidence. Look into their needs. I urge for a concentrated fight against coronavirus," he added.

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had on Saturday convened a meeting with Private Medical College Hospitals regarding Covid management and directed them to provide 50 per cent of the beds as promised.

In another tweet, Kumaraswamy said the notice being put out by local administrations in front of coronavirus patient's house is leading to new age social discrimination and untouchability.

To ensure that infected patients and his family leads a respectable life, such a practice has to be dropped immediately. "..... instead health workers should be sent to their houses to educate and instill confidence in them," the former CM added.

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News Network
July 8,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 8: In yet another revenue generation measure, the Revenue department has issued an order permitting the sale of government land leased to various religious, industrial and other organisations.

Officials say that around Rs 2,250 crore will be generated in Bengaluru Urban district alone, if the order is implemented.

While rules for the process are yet to be formed, it has directed deputy commissioners of various districts to submit proposals for the sale of such lands leased by the government to various institutions under the Karnataka Land Grant Rules, 1969. The order came after a recent Cabinet decision. 

The order issued on July 6 says that government lands leased to private organisations, trusts, industries, educational, social welfare, religious and agricultural purposes can be regularised by paying the guidance value of the land, provided the organisation continued to use the land for the same purpose it was granted for.

If an organisation or trust wanted to convert the land for other purposes, it will be charged twice the guidance value. According to the order, land leased to organisations that are unwilling to purchase the land will be surveyed. “DCs should initiate measures to survey such lands and recover the unused land to the government,” it said.

Revenue Principal Secretary N Manjunath Prasad told DH that rules for the sale of such lands will be formulated shortly. “We have directed deputy commissioners to compile the extent of land leased to various organisations in their respective districts,” he said, noting that 921 acres were leased to private parties in Bengaluru Urban district.

From the 921 acres, the state government used to receive an annual rent of Rs 6.50 crore per year. Sale of leased land in Bengaluru Urban alone will generate around Rs 2,250 crore at current guidance values, Prasad said. 

The government is also pushing for regularisation of unauthorised buildings on Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) land and auction of corner sites to mobilise resources due to the severe economic difficulties in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the state’s reduced share in central taxes.

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News Network
June 5,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 5: The Karnataka government has asked all its departments and authorities to avoid during all official transactions the nomenclature "Dalit" for members belonging to the Scheduled Castes.

"All the departments and authorities of government of Karnataka are requested that (use of name Dalit) for all official transactions, matters, dealings, certificates, among others," the official circular said.

The Constitutional term Scheduled Caste in English and its appropriate translation in other national languages should alone be used for denoting the persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes notified in the presidential orders issued under Article 341 of the Constitution, the circular said.

The circular issued on May 20 notes instructions issued by the Central government in 2018, with reference to the order of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior Bench.

"That the Central government/state government and its functionaries would refrain from using the nomenclature "Dalit" for the members belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as the same does not find mentioned in the Constitution or any statute," the order had said.

Pointing out that the Central government had earlier issued instructions that the words "Harijan" and "Girijan" should not be used, the circular said accordingly the Karnataka government also had issued a Government Order in 2010.

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