Joining issue with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over its allegation that despite no sources of income he had transferred Rs 49 crore to his accounts in Indian banks during a six-year period, controversial Islamic preacher and absconding accused Zakir Naik on Friday wondered as to “why is ED lying” about his earnings which reflected in his tax returns filed till 2016.

Two days after a Mumbai-based special court took cognisance of a charge-sheet filed against him by the ED in a money laundering case, Naik in a statement issued here said: “Why is ED lying? When everyone — including all the government agencies - know that I have multiple businesses and revenue streams and my earnings have always reflected in the tax returns I’ve filed”.

“Is the pressure so huge that they need to lie to achieve the goal set out by their political bosses? For once, can they start showing some spine and be truthful in treating my case?,” Naik asked.

“I’ve filed my tax returns dutifully every year till 2016 and the ED has access to all my tax papers. The papers clearly show that I have multiple businesses and revenue streams,” Naik said.

In its charge-sheet filed against him before the court of Judge MS Azmi under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Wednesday, the ED had alleged that “Zakir Naik, an Islamic preacher who keeps travelling around the world to deliver speeches, does not have any known source of income through any known source of employment or business. Even in such a situation, he has managed to transfer Rs 49.20 crore to his Indian bank accounts”.

Among other things, the ED had told the special court that it had identified assets worth Rs 93 crore and attached properties valued at ?50.46 crore in the case so far. The attached properties include investments in mutual funds, the Islamic International School building in Chennai, 10 flats, three godowns, two buildings, and land in Pune and Mumbai, besides 10 bank accounts.

The ED is investigating money laundering allegedly  indulged in by Naik based  on an FIR lodged by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his alleged role in unlawful activities by the use of provocative utterances and for promoting enmity between different religious groups in India.

Contesting the ED’s claim that he had “no known sources of income”, Naik said in his statement: “By law, I’m not supposed to explain my overseas job or business to anyone in India, till the time I’m using legitimate channels and account for every penny I send to India. So it’s totally puzzling when the ED says I’ve not been earning anything. How on earth can they even think that? From where does ED get these ideas? Of course I earn. I have had multiple businesses - legitimate businesses - including real estate”.

“I’m a full time preacher and part time business man, just as Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was. I don’t charge for my lectures nor do I earn from Peace TV, so I do need another revenue stream to survive, which I have. Implying that I could survive outside India without earning anything is not just illogical, it’s childish,” Naik elaborated.

“ I’m an NRI since 2010, living and earning outside India for nine years now. I earn over a crore a month, and I send money back to India as and when required. I sent it from my Dubai account to my India account, and every penny is then accounted for in my tax returns, the papers for which are with the Indian agencies”.

“Between 2010 and 2016 - in the six year period - I must have sent 49 crores to India. How is sending 65 lakhs per month a problem? For a country that receives more than Rs 6,000 crores every month from UAE based Indians, how is my Rs 65 lakhs a problem?,” Naik asked.

Maintaining that whatever money he had “received as charity has been disclosed in the donor country and used for the purpose it was meant for”, Naik said: “Forget 49 crore, can the ED show even one rupee of charity money being used for something else? No, it can’t. Because, it hasn’t happened”.

“I’ve only one message to officials in ED. Please grow a spine. You’re wasting taxpayer’s money by not doing your job truthfully,” Naik concluded.