Govt bans Zakir Naik’s IRF to 'safeguard national security', NIA issues another notice to televangelist

This is the second notice to Muslim preacher Zakir Naik by NIA. (Image courtesy: PTI/File)

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has issued another notice to Zakir Naik asking him to appear at its Headquarter on 30 March.  This is the second notice to Muslim preacher. Earlier, through the notice, Zakir Naik was asked to join the investigation at NIA headquarters here on March 14. The National Investigation Agency had issued notice to televangelist Zakir Naik to appear before it in a case against him for allegedly promoting enmity between groups on religious and racial grounds. The first notice was received by Naik's brother Mohammad Abdul Karim at their residence in Jasmine Apartments in Mumbai's Mazgaon area. The NIA had filed cases against the 51-year-old Naik under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly promoting enmity between groups on religious and racial grounds, and raided over a dozen offices, residential premises, his Peace TV offices, and other locations, besides freezing a bank account of his NGO. Naik has been the founding trustee if the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), IRF Educational Trust and the Islamic Dimensions Trust. Besides this, Naik is having close connections with Peace TV channel, Harmony Media Private Ltd, Longlast Constructions Pvt Ltd, Right Property Solutions Pvt Ltd, Galaxy Multichannel Network Pvt Ltd, Majestic Perfumes Pvt Ltd and Alpha Lubricants Pvt Ltd. The Enforcement Directorate has lodged a money-laundering case against Naik and his NGO. Naik first shot into the limelight when his name cropped up during the investigations into the terror strike at an upscale restaurant in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on July 1 after one of the terrorists allegedly claimed to have been inspired by his speeches. The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed a plea filed by against a ban on his NGO Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), saying the home ministry has "sufficient material for immediate ban". Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva dismissing Naik's plea, said: "Immediate action appears to have been taken in interest of sovereignty, integrity and maintenance of public order." Naik had challenged the November 17, 2016 notification imposing an immediate ban on the IRF for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had earlier showed confidential documents to the court on the basis of which a decision to ban the foundation was taken. The government had said that the IRF was banned as there was fear that youths could be "radicalised or motivated" to join terror groups. Challenging the ban, the IRF had told the court that the notification did not give sufficient reasons and materials for taking such a step and that the ban was imposed without giving any showcause notice.