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Namrata Biji Ahuja
Namrata Biji Ahuja

Selective enforcement?

Tribunal raps ED for acting fast on Zakir Naik compared with other godmen

ZAKIR NAIK (File) Zakir Naik

In what will come as yet another relief for controversial televangelist Zakir Naik, a judicial tribunal on Tuesday did not allow the Enforcement Directorate to take over his immovable assets, which it had attached last year. While this time it was the ED’s turn to suffer embarrassment, it was the National Investigation Agency that had earlier cut a sorry figure for not being able to persuade Interpol to issue a Red Notice against Naik.

Despite the NIA’s request, Interpol did not issue a Red Notice against Naik, citing lack of formal charges against him. The NIA has now approached Interpol again for issuance of Red Notice against Naik, informing it that a formal charge-sheet has been filed against the TV preacher.

But the controversy surrounding Naik took a new turn on Tuesday when the tribunal not only restrained the ED from taking possession of his immovable assets but also made some verbal observations that left many ED officials red-faced.

The tribunal is learnt to have asked the agency why it was showing so much promptness in Naik’s case in comparison with cases against other self-styled godmen. But these observations were made orally. The ED officials are waiting for the certified copy of the order to see whether these observations form part of the tribunal's written order as well.

The ED intends to file an appeal against the order as soon as it gets a certified copy of the order, sources said.

Naik has been giving a headache to the government since he left the country in 2016.

Facing a multi-agency probe, Naik has evaded Indian security agencies and is living in Malaysia from where he travels to Saudi Arabia occasionally. The NIA, CBI and now the ED will be forced to introspect whether the cases they have built against Naik are going to stand judicial scrutiny.

While CBI is the nodal body for issuing Interpol warrants in India, the agency has failed to produce enough evidence to back its case. The sources said the investigating agency in this case, which is the NIA, has charge-sheeted Naik who faces charges of indoctrinating Muslim youth who got inspired by his speeches and joined the ISIS.

Naik was also accused of promoting enmity between groups and accumulating funds for his NGO, Islamic Research Foundation, in an illegal way.

Naik had left India sometime after the July 2016 Dhaka terror attack where the attackers had claimed they had been inspired by Naik.

India wanted to send an extradition request to the Malaysian government, which is ready to help under the mutual legal assistance treaty signed by both countries. However New Delhi has not sent a formal request yet. The reason being that its investigating agencies first need to build a solid case against him, which can stand the test of time.

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