NIA to chargesheet Zakir Naik this week

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency is expected to chargesheet controversial Islamic preached Zakir Naik this week for his alleged involvement in a case of terror funding and money laundering which the agency had registered in November last year.

Sources said the investigating agency has completed all formalities related to filing of the chargesheet and the same would be done before a designated NIA court in Mumbai this week.

Naik, 51, had left the country in July last year and has been absconding since then though it is still not clear where he is hiding though he is suspected to be in Saudi Arabia. Following this, NIA’s zonal office at Mumbai had lodged a case against Naik under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The home ministry has already declared his Mumbai-based NGO, Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), as an unlawful association.

In its FIR, the NIA had claimed that Naik was instrumental in spreading communal hatred through his highly provocative speeches, funding of terror groups and even money laundering to the tune of several crores over the last few years. Naik and his representatives have, however, denied all these allegations. 

NIA has already approached the Interpol for getting a Red Corner notice issued against Naik as his passport has already been revoked by the Government. Broadcast of Naik’s channel, Peace TV, has also been stopped by the Centre.

The investigating agency had issued three notices to Naik under the under the Code of Criminal Procedure section 160 asking him to join the investigation but he failed to appear before the NIA for questioning.