A week after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials arrested Aamir Gazdar, a close aide of controversial televangelist Dr Zakir Naik in connection with the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case.
A week after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials arrested Aamir Gazdar, a close aide of controversial televangelist Dr Zakir Naik in connection with the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case, Gazdar was produced in a special PMLA court in Mumbai on Wednesday from where he has been remanded to 14-day judicial custody till March 8.
The ED have recorded his statement and revealed there were discrepancies with the transactions, as it was not supported with any documentation. However, ED said he is also trying to cover for Naik and himself by not disclosing the information.
According to the ED official, in his statements, he has given the details of a number of cash transactions handled by him at the instruction of Dr Zakir Naik and income what he had filed his income tax returns. However, pursuing the same reveals that there was wide variation in the disclosed income with the actual, as the same was not supported with any documentation.
Gazdar was filing his IT returns in the name of his wife and children. However, he admitted that they did not have any source of income, which raises the suspicion that he was trying to hide something. He has also mentioned that Naik had given him an amount of Rs 4 crore from his mother's account.
This amount was credited to Gazdar's wife's bank account. Subsequently, out of the 4 crores, Rs 2.4 crore was transferred to his son's account which was later returned to Dr Zakir Naik. while the remaining amount of Rs. 1.6 crore was spent for purchasing a flat in Infinity Building, Mumbai. This amount was also returned to Naik. On being asked about the source of funds for returning the amount, Gazdar said he had received some amount from his brother based in London as a gift while some amount was taken as loans from his friends and the remaining were from his personal saving.
It was revealed that the turnover of his business is to the tune of Rs 25-30 lakh per annum. However, he is using the high-end car like BMW that worth more than Rs 25 lakh. Gazdar said he had purchased the car from the amount transferred by Naik. through his mother's account.
Apart from this it also revealed during the interrogation that, certain properties were also purchased in the name of companies which were owned and controlled by Naik and Gazdar is one of the directors. The registration fees were paid in cash but even though Gazdar was unable to reveal the actual source of generation of such huge funds and its ultimate use, an ED official said.
ED claims that the Gazdar was not only in constant touch with Naik but he was an equivalent partner. Hence, he is privy to the crucial information and also knows the whereabouts of Naik. "He knows everything but he is not co-operating with the investigation. We are at the crucial stage in our investigation," said an ED official.
The ED has also sent summons to other directors of the company including Zakir Naik’s sister, Naila Noorani and her husband to investigate their role.
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 "Dr Zakir Naik")
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