Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Intelligence Department (SID) has given a clean chit to Dr Zakir Naik as it found no strong evidence to link the founder and president of the Islamic Research Foundation to terror-related activities.
SID, who was handling the investigation of the Dr. Zakir Naik case ordered by the Maharashtra government found no reason to register a case against the televangelist for now and will not and cannot be detained the preacher on his return to India based on the evidence against him, said a report on Tuesday.
The SID, as a part of his preliminary probe, has studied hundreds of YouTube videos and speeches given by Dr. Naik in and out of India and concluded that no case can be made out against him, except the charge of hurting religious sentiments.
“There is no case to be made out against the English-speaking preacher, except maybe the possible charge of hurting religious sentiments, but even that cannot be established from his speeches. We are tracking his movements and only if he speaks out of turn, can we ‘pin’ him down on a charge. For now, we are closely monitoring him,” a senior police official was quoted as saying by the Hindu.
The founder of Mumbai-based Islamic Research Foundation became the centre of a controversy after reports emerged that perpetrators of the Dhaka terror attack were inspired by the preacher.
Shiv Sena has demanded arrest of Naik on his landing in India and dismantling of his TV network.
Meanwhile,Samajwadi Party Maharashtra unit President Abu Azmi came in support of Naik and sought to know why action has not been taken for the last 25 years if his speeches are inspiring terrorists, and called for a fair inquiry into charges against him.
(Agencies)
