Islamic preacher’s name cropped up in statement

While pronouncing his judgment in the arms haul case, the judge said that one of the acquitted accused Firoz Deshmukh in his confessional statement had said that wanted accused from Bangladesh were trying to contact him because they wanted entire discs of speeches of Dr Zakir Naik. However, no other investigation was done in this regard. The judge further said that the court has discarded his confession and has acquitted Deshmukh. Deshmukh while reacting on the subject said, “I never worked for Islamic Research Foundation (Naik’s organisation) and I don’t know Zakir Naik, though I have heard about him.”