Zakir Naik, the founder and radical preacher of Islamic Research Foundation has been charged under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act by the NIA. A special NIA court has ordered the attachment of his properties on Thursday. As per reports, the concerned properties are five properties owned by Naik in Mumbai’s Mazgaon area.
The properties are reportedly listed as follows, a 1360 square foot shop in Mazgaon’s Crystal Residency building, 2 flats at Jasmine Apartments in Dockyard Road and two more flats in a building called Maria Heights in Belvedere Road.
Advocate Anand Sukhdev, on behalf of NIA, reportedly told the court that Naik has been trying to obtain citizenship in several foreign nations and was, therefore, trying to raise money for the same by selling these properties in Mazgaon.
On June 15, 2017, after a non-bailable warrant against Naik had been issued, the court confirmed him as a ‘Proclaimed Offender’, under section 82 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), owing to requests made by the NIA. His passport was also revoked. NIA had registered a case against Naik in 2016.
Naik has been notorious in spreading hatred between religious groups and for inciting Muslim youth to join in the jihad against non-believers of Islam. He used to use his NGO ‘Islamic Research Foundation’ (IRF) and a TV channel (Peace TV) to air his hate speeches in the country. The government of India had taken the channel off the air and banned the NGO.
He left India in July 2016 and is wanted criminal on basis of terror and money laundering charges. The NIA had found 37 different properties of Naik with a total worth of almost 100 crores. Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate had attached the properties of the IRF totalling to approximately 18.37 crores.
Interpol had also issued a red corner notice against Naik. He has been traced to Malaysia and though the Indian government has made formal requests to the government of Malaysia, the Malaysian PM had in July this year informed that Naik has been granted a permanent residency of Malaysia and he will be allowed to stay in their country as long as he does not create any problems.
