ED seeks more time to reply to Zakir Naik’s plea

Enforcement Directorate (ED) sought more time to reply to televangelist Zakir Naik’s plea whose counsels approached the court requesting that he be heard before the agency takes any action.

An application in this regard was earlier submitted to the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act court.

“The ED officials have made certain statements in the press that steps are being taken to declare Zakir Naik as an absconder and approach the court for issuing warrants,” read the application submitted by Naik’s counsel.

The plea requested that Naik be heard before the court hears any application filed by the ED.

ED has already issued three summons to Naik which the latter has failed to honour. As per the procedure, ED may approach the court seeking a non-bailable warrant against him or declaring him as an absconder.

The Bombay high court on Wednesday allowed artist Chintan Upadhyay — who is facing trial for the murder of his wife Hema and her lawyer Haresh Bhambhani — to visit a bank and execute a power of attorney in the name of his brother to enable him to operate his bank accounts.

Upadhyay had approached HC claiming that some demonetised currency was lying in his bank accounts and that the power of attorney would allow his brother to deposit such old currency notes with the RBI before the March 31 deadline. The state opposed his plea in HC and argued that it was short of staff who could escort Upadhyay to the notary’s office and to the bank to complete the formalities. But Upadhyay volunteered to pay for the escort and the court allowed his plea.