NEW DELHI, Dec. 5 -- The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday arrested Mohammed Sadeeque, also known as Sadik Khan, former president of the Alfurkan Educational Trust (AET) in Bikaner, for allegedly laundering funds collected as public donations and using them to finance criminal and suspicious overseas activities. Officials said the investigation points to systematic diversion of charity funds, unaccounted cash transactions, and associations with radical networks. Sadeeque was produced before a special PMLA court in Jaipur on Thursday, where the court granted ED custody for three days, till December 6, to enable further interrogation. ED initiated investigation based on two First Information Reports (FIRs) registered by Rajasthan Police and credible information wherein it is alleged that Sadeeque was involved in "radicalisation activities, Dawah activity and forced religious conversions, association with various overseas radical outfits and suspicious high value financial transactions routed through his and his family members' bank accounts, running into crores of rupees." "The police FIRs and chargesheets also mentions charges of attempt to murder and use of illegal arms by the accused," said the federal agency. ED investigation has revealed that "Sadeeque formed Alfurkan Educational Trust, which manages Masjid-e-Ayesha and routinely collected sizeable public donations for and through this trust, primarily in cash, with no financial record keeping." The arrest of Sadeeque, the agency stated, marks a significant step in dismantling a network of shadow financial operations, suspected radical influences and unlawful activities operating under the guise of charitable and religious work. A senior ED official said that Sadeeque created Alfurkan Educational Trust, which manages Masjid-e-Ayesha, and collected large donations allegedly without maintaining financial records. "The donations-meant for religious and charitable purposes-were retained entirely in cash and controlled by him without documentation. These funds were then diverted for personal use and financing illegal activities, including foreign travel to Bangladesh, Nepal, Oman and Qatar. It was also found during investigation that during a visit to Bangladesh, Sadeeque worked closely with Mohammad Salim alias Saurabh Vaidya, who was later arrested by the Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad for alleged links to the proscribed group Hizb-ut-Tahrir," the ED official said. He further said that Sadeeque had no lawful source of income for years and relied on cash from gambling, illicit liquor trade and suspected arms dealings. "The probe has linked the misappropriated donations to criminal violations, pointing to the recovery of three country-made weapons and live cartridges from Sadeeque and his associates in a separate police case. The trust facade also enabled him to conceal deeper networks of unaccounted and clandestine operations," the officer added. According to the agency, Sadeeque allegedly maintained contact with members of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and was encouraged to travel to Nepal for further meetings. ED said its probe also examined a widely circulated video in which an inflammatory speech is attributed to him, which was made with the deliberate intention of provoking communal sentiments. "He reportedly planned to travel onward to Syria but was intercepted by immigration authorities. We have also examined a purported video of an inflammatory speech attributed to him, as well as instances where a foreign flag was allegedly burned at public gatherings to solicit donations by inflaming sentiments." Officials said the arrest of Mohammed Sadeeque signals a wider probe into shadow funding, radical influences and unlawful activities operating under the guise of charity. Further investigation is underway....