The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday issued notice to televangelist Zakir Naik to appear before it in a case against him for allegedly promoting enmity between groups on religious and racial grounds.
“Through the notice, Zakir Naik has been asked to join the investigation at NIA headquarters in Mumbai on March 14,” an NIA official told IANS.
The official said that the notice was received by Naik’s brother Mohammad Abdul Karim at their residence in Jasmine Apartments in Mumbai’s Mazgaon area.
The NIA had filed cases against the 51-year-old Naik under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly promoting enmity between groups on religious and racial grounds, and raided over a dozen offices, residential premises, his Peace TV offices, and other locations, besides freezing a bank account of his NGO.
Naik has been the founding trustee if the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), IRF Educational Trust and the Islamic Dimensions Trust.
Besides this, Naik is having close connections with Peace TV channel, Harmony Media Private Ltd, Longlast Constructions Pvt Ltd, Right Property Solutions Pvt Ltd, Galaxy Multichannel Network Pvt Ltd, Majestic Perfumes Pvt Ltd and Alpha Lubricants Pvt Ltd.
The Enforcement Directorate has lodged a money-laundering case against Naik and his NGO.
Naik first shot into the limelight when his name cropped up during the investigations into the terror strike at an upscale restaurant in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on July 1 after one of the terrorists allegedly claimed to have been inspired by his speeches.
