The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is all set to widen its probe against Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) and its founder Dr Zakir Naik by investigating members of the organisation both based in India and abroad. The development comes after NIA officially contacted banks asking them to freeze accounts of the banned IRF and Naik.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is all set to widen its probe against Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) and its founder Dr Zakir Naik by investigating members of the organisation both based in India and abroad. The development comes after NIA officially contacted banks asking them to freeze accounts of the banned IRF and Naik.
According to a senior NIA official, the probe agency is currently preparing a list of individuals associated with the IRF who might offer more information about the funding of the organisation which was recently banned by the government of India. NIA is now looking to prepare a comprehensive list of IRF members specially those who are not based in India.
“The funding of the proscribed organisation has to be explored further. IRF has received funds from abroad ever since its inception, and the NIA probe will focus on the money trail as well,” said the senior NIA official. The agency is also contemplating to get a red corner notice issued if Naik avoids refuses to join the investigation.
The official further said that many IRF members and associates are based out of India, and in the coming few weeks NIA might contact the individuals asking them to join the investigation.
Last week, NIA booked Naik and others under Section 18 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) that relates to terror conspiracy, Section 10 and 13 of UAPA which deal with being member of an unlawful association and punishment for unlawful activities respectively, and Section 153A of IPC (inciting communal hatred).
NIA had asked the home ministry to block websites and other online activities of the Islamic preacher and while speaking to DNA agency spokesperson Alok Mittal said that,”all action that needs to be taken against a proscribed organisation including banning its online activities is being taken”.
A source in NIA said that some members of the investigating team probing Naik have been asked to examine audio and video files that were confiscated during raids on IRF premises.
The recording , some of which are also available online, according to NIA, consist of speeches made by Naik in the past. The agency said it will be looking for portions of the speeches, where in Naik seems to be allegedly making inflammatory statements.
During the search operations, video tapes and DVDs of Zakir Naik’s public speeches, documents related to property and investment, financial transactions, foreign and domestic funding of the proscribed IRF as well as its associated companies, and electronic storage devices have been recovered all of which will now be scrutinised.
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