India revokes Dr Zakir Naik's passport
The 51-year-old president of Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation is currently out of India.
NEW DELHI (Dunya News) – Ministry of External Affairs of India on Tuesday revoked the passport of Islamic preacher and scholar Dr Zakir Naik.
The 51-year-old president of Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) is currently out of India. He is accused of alleged terrorism and money laundering by the Indian government.
Last year, National Investigation Agency (NIA) while registering a case against Dr Zakir Naik raided several of his NGO’s offices. His passport was then revoked after his consistent failure to present himself before the NIA.
"We have received a request from the agency concerned a few days ago. We have taken action on that request to revoke the passport. There is a process for such steps which need to be complied with under the provisions of the law and we have taken action," MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay said previously as reported by Times of India.
The first blame leveled against Naik’s NGO came after terrorists’ attack on Dhaka café which claimed the lives of atleast 20 hostages.
Bangladesh has allegedly declared that two of the suspected terrorists involved in the attack were influenced by Dr Zakir Naik’s speeches. However; the televangelist has repeatedly rejected the allegations against him and has said that his speeches have been doctored.
Later, the Indian government banned IRF for five years as an ‘unlawful organisation’, suspended all the foreign donations and confiscated assets of Naik worth more than INR 18.37 crore.
