NEW DELHI – The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday registered a money laundering cases against the chief of Delhi-based Tablighi Jamaat Markaz, Maulana Saad, and others, days after Delhi Police booked him under sections of Epidemic Disease Act.

The ED registered the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against Saad Under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The Central probe agency will probe the funds being received by Saad to organise Tablighi congregations and other activities. His bank account details and other transactions in the countries and from overseas bank accounts will also be part of the ED probe, said sources.

After evacuating about 1,600 people from the Markaz building in Nizamuddin where a Tablighi congregation was arranged by Saad amid novel coronavirus pandemic, Delhi Police on March 31 registered a First Information Report (FIR) against him and others of Tablighi Jamaat under sections of Epidemic Disease Act.

The Delhi Police case was filed under the Epidemic Act 1897 read with Section 269, 270, 271 and 120-B Indian Penal Code (IPC) for violation of government directions given to the management of Markaz of Basti Nizamuddin regarding restriction of social, political and religious gathering and for taking safety measures, including social distancing for prevention and treatment of COVID-19 viral infection, said Delhi Police.

Delhi Police on Wednesday charged Saad under stringent sections for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, which is equivalent to second degree murder.

-IANS