Close on the heels of a similar warrant issued against him by a city court in a case of money laundering case, the special NIA court on Thursday issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against the controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik for offences registered against him under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Indian Penal Code.
Special Judge VV Patil ordered the issuance of NBW against Naik after the NIA informed the court that the Islamic preacher had failed to respond to three summons issued by the court and that it would have to seek the assistance of the Interpol to bring the accused back to the country.
The NBW was issued against Naik by the special court in connection with a case registered against him and his banned outfit Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) under 153-A of IPC (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion etc.. and various sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, in November last year.
The registration of the case had followed simultaneous raids conducted on November 19, 2016 by the NIA officials on at least 10 premises linked to Naik’s banned outfit Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), including an office of Peace TV and residences of several office-bearers and froze a bank account in the metropolis.
Thursday’s was the second NBW issued against NBW against Naik. last week, another city court had issued a similar NBW against Naik in a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against him.
Naik, who came under the scanner of the Mumbai police and central investigating agencies after a terrorist attack that took place in Dhaka Bangladesh on July 1, in which 22 persons were killed. Naik’s name had figured in the investigations into the Dhaka café attack after two of the seven terrorists who hacked to death 22 people in the attack, had claimed that they were “inspired” by him.
Naik, who was to have returned to India in the second week of week of July last year, had stayed back in Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.
The NIA took over the investigations from the Mumbai Police in mid-October last year.
Fifty-year-old Naik, who is the founder of Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) and Peace TV, is being investigated by the NIA for several provocative speeches and his role in terror propaganda. Currently, Naik is believed to be in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).