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Namrata Biji Ahuja
Namrata Biji Ahuja

NEW DELHI

NIA preparing grounds to summon Zakir Naik

Zakir-Naik--profile (File) Televangelist Zakir Naik

 

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is preparing grounds to summon controversial televangelist Zakir Naik, whose organisation Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) has been banned under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for dubious financial transactions, involvement in radicalisation of youth and engaging in terror propaganda .

Investigators told THE WEEK that the NIA would soon summon Naik for questioning. A probe regarding his suspicious foreign funding, bank accounts, real estate investment, trust deeds and financial transactions will be completed in the next two months. Naik's empire is pegged at around Rs 100 crore by the agency.

As soon as the probe is completed, the NIA will approach the Interpol and may even press for a look-out circular against him if he does not appear before the agency.

The noose around Naik tightened after the NIA probe threw up definite evidence of his sprawling empire in and around Mumbai where the televangelist made investments amounting to nearly 100 crore .

This includes companies like Harmony Media Pvt Limited, whose monetary transactions and flow of funds are under the scanner. At least 78 bank accounts related to cash transactions by Naik and his organisations are under the lens. Their IT returns are also being examined and the NIA has roped in financial experts to help decipher the financial chain and links between the organisations.

At the centre of Naik's network is IRF International, a U.K. Based charity that commenced operations in 2007. In India, Naik had two charities in Mumbai registered under the Foreign contribution regulation act — IRF and IRF educational trust .

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