Having established that he had “promoted” enmity and hatred among different religious groups in India through public speeches and lectures, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday filed a chargesheet before a special court against controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and two of his outfits, including Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), under Unlawful Assembly (Prevention) Act and Indian Penal Code (IPC).
In its chargesheet, the NIA charged him with having “conspired” with the IRF Trust and the Harmony Media Private limited to “promote” enmity and hatred between different religious groups in India through his public speeches and lectures and indulge in “deliberate and malicious acts” intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.
Naik, who is the founding trustee of IRF Trust, has been booked under Sections 120B ( Conspiracy), 153A ( provocation with an intention to cause riot, 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious beliefs), 298 (uttering words intended to wound religious feelings) and 505-2 (statements promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will among classes) of the IPC and Section 10 of the UA(P) Act
The IRF and Harmony Media Private limited (HMPl), with which Naik has been associated, have charged under Sections 120B, 153A, 295A, 298 & 505(2) of the IPC.
Naik had come under the scanner of the Mumbai Police and Central investigating agencies after a terrorist attack that took place in Dhaka in Bangladesh on July 1 last year, in which 22 people 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. The special NIA court here had on April 20 this year issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Zakir Naik for offences registered against him under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and IPC.