The National Investigating Agency (NIA) today said that controversial TV evangelist Zakir Naik's NGO Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) has investments worth Rs 100 crore in the real estate business.
The investigative agency also said that Naik's 78 bank accounts are under the scanner.
On November 17 last year, the Narendra Modi government imposed a ban on IRF for five years under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Subsequently on November 19, the agency conducted raids at 10 premises of IRF in Mumbai.
IRF has challenged Centre's decision in the Delhi High Court, claiming no reasons were given for taking such action under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The NGO, in its plea, challenged the November 17, 2016, notification of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) which had imposed an immediate ban on the organisation under UAPA.
According to IRF, the notification gave no reason and cited no material for taking such a step as was required by the law laid down by the Supreme Court.
It said the immediate ban was imposed without giving them any show cause notice.
IRF had come under the scanner of various security agencies after one of the terrorists involved in the Dhaka cafe attack on July 1, 2016 allegedly posted on social media that they had been inspired by Naik's speeches.
The government had defended its decision claiming that the IRF was luring youth to join ISIS.
"Youth were being radicalised. Many were in the queue for joining ISIS. Many youths arrested in unrelated terror cases stated that they were inspired by speeches of Zakir Naik. What could have been a more urgent situation for a nation? Should we have waited for pralay (catastrophe)," Centre told the Delhi High Court.
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