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
May 2,2020

Bengalur, May 2: Two people died of COVID-19 in Karnataka on Saturday taking the toll in the state to 25, whereas nine more tested positive for the virus, pushing the tally to 598, the health department said. Two deaths were reported in Bidar and Bengaluru urban, the health department said in a statement.

An 82-year-old person with a history of Severe Acute Respiratory Illness died in Bidar. While the second fatality was a 62-year-old man with a history of diabetes, hyper-tension, renal failture and was on multiple myeloma on chemotherapy, in Bengaluru. He too had complained of breathlessness on April 30 and died on Saturday at the designated hospital.

Among the nine new cases, two each are from Tumakuru, Vijayapura, one each from Bidar, Chikkaballapura, Belagavi, Bagalkot and Bengaluru urban. Cumulatively, 598 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state and it includes 25 deaths.

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coastaldigest.com news network
July 26,2020

Mangaluru, Jul 26: Rubbishing reports about cancellation of institutional quarantine for international passengers in Mangaluru, local health authorities have clarified that 14 day isolation including first seven day institutional quarantine must for international passengers. 

For past couple of days rumours were doing rounds on social media that the government has done away with quarantine for international passengers. A few Mangaluru-based news portals also had published it as news without quoting any reliable sources. 

Meanwhile, district health officer in his clarification message said that neither Karnataka government nor Dakshina Kannada district administrant has revised the quarantine norms for international passengers. 

“Those who arrive from overseas must remain in isolation for 14 days. Out of this, seven days have to be spent in institutional quarantine (in hotel or lodge). During this period, the throat swab sample of the person will be sent for covid-19 testing. If the report is negative, then they will be sent to home quarantine for another seven days."

He said that concession in terms of number of days has only been given for people with other health conditions, children and the elderly. "For children below 10 years, pregnant women, elderly above the age of 60 years and other with other ailments, the throat swab will be collected on the second day of institutional quarantine. If the report turns negative, they will be sent to home quarantine for 14 days."

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News Network
February 1,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 1: The police have arrested two miscreants belonging to a saffron outfit after they threatened students in the city who were protesting the firing incident near Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia, telling them they would meet the same fate as the injured student.

Saffron extremist Gopal Sharma had opened fire at students protesting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act near the Delhi varsity on Thursday, injuring one.

The Bengaluru incident took place at Maurya Circle, where the nightlong demonstration against the Jamia firing and CAA began around 7.30pm. By 11pm, the number of protesters reduced to 30 but the group decided to stay back after getting the news of another alleged attack on women and Jamia students by Delhi police.

According to Adrian, a student who was at the scene, the small group of protesters stayed within a barricaded area on the road, chanting slogans, singing patriotic songs and playing music. “While we were raising anti-CAA slogans, two men from among us began shouting pro-CAA slogans. The duo was unknown and when we looked at them, they quietly moved away,” said Adrian, adding they were drunk and returned after a few minutes.

Saqib Idrees, another student protester, said the duo began to issue verbal threats. “They threatened us in Kannada that they would repeat the Jamia incident in Bengaluru,” said Saqib, adding the duo also taunted them saying ‘it’s not CAA down down, but you all will be brought down’.

When the students questioned the miscreants, cops stationed at the spot detained the duo. “Police were very cooperative. Almost 20 personnel were with us till 5am,” said Saqib.

Meanwhile, a friend of the duo watched the drama from a distance and approached the protesters to apologise on their behalf. “He said they belonged to the working class and FIRs would destroy their lives. He apologised to us and we decided to let the matter go. After all, we are Gandhians,” added Saqib.

Adrian said though the two men were drunk, their threats exposed their ideology. After the duo was detained, the students continued their protest till 5am and dispersed after singing the national anthem.

According to High Grounds police, the men are bank employees and were detained for disturbing the protesters at Maurya Junction. “They are from Andhra Pradesh and work in a PSU bank in the city. One of them is set to get married in February. He had thrown a party for his other friends for the same reason. The duo was drunk when confronted by the protesters. We booked a case of public nuisance and let them off after a warning,” police said.

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