Zakir Naik not coming back to India before 2017

Controversial preacher-cum-televangelist Zakir Naik, who is under the scanner in India, is not likely to visit India in 2016. His lawyer, advocate Mubin Solkar told The Asian Age that as per Mr Naik’s schedule that was fixed long back, he will be visiting different countries and lecturing, but is expected to return to India only in 2017.

Mr Solkar also said that his client has no reason to avoid coming to India as there is no case registered against him. The Maha-rashtra government, however, claimed that there was actionable evidence against Mr Naik, and he could be arrested the moment he puts foot in India.

Advocate Solkar told this newspaper, “It is not true that Mr Naik used to visit India frequently or every two months in the past and he has stopped coming only after the recent investigation against him. He is an NRI and to maintain that status, he is required to stay out of India for a fixed period of time. Hence, even in the past, he used to come to India occasionally.”

Advocate Solkar added that till date, no case had been registered against Mr Naik and neither had any court or investigating agency issued summons to him and hence, there was no need for him to change his schedule and return to India. The lawyer also said that for the past 15 years now, Mr Naik had been visiting Saudi Arabia with his family during Ramzan, and in 2016 too, the visit was already fixed earlier.

The state government claimed there was enough evidence against Mr Naik to arrest him. A report prepared by state intelligence had evidence about the preacher’s financial support, institutes started by him, and their functioning. The state was going to recommend to the Centre to arrest Mr Naik based on this body of evidence.