Dr Zakir Naik's aide Amir Abdul Mannan Gazdar sent to five-day custody

Amir Gazdar outside the special PMLA court. Pic/Bipin Kokate

The Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Friday remanded Amir Abdul Mannan Gazdar, close confidante of controversial televanglist Dr Zakir Naik, into the custody of Enforcement Directorate (ED) for five days. ED had arrested Gazdar, one of the trustees of Naik's Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) and also directors in several companies linked to Dr. Naik, on Thursday in connection with a PMLA case involving alleged laundering of over Rs 100 crore between 2013 and 2016. ED informed the court that Naik had received huge funds through his illegal activities. "Dr. Naik established certain dummy companies in India and abroad to camouflage the diversion of funds received through his illegal activities. The arrested accused Gazdar is directors in at least six of these companies," ED stated. The central agency informed the court that the probe revealed that Dr Naik conducted a huge amount of cash transactions without leaving any trail on its origin or utilisation. He and other employees of IRF admitted to the same. However, he refused to divulge the details of these cash transactions.

Also read: Dr Zakir Naik's 'money manager' Gazdar arrested

Gazdar, who claims to be a marble contractor, played a pivotal role in acquiring and disposing the cash. Other employees of the companies have said that they have seen Gazdar bringing in huge cash on many instances, ED said. Apart form Gazdar, Naik's sister Nailah Noorani is the other director and additional director of shell companies linked to the s transactions.