Interpol red-corner notice: ED’s next action plan against Zakir Naik

Naik had apologised to Malaysians for allegedly making racist comments, after he was grilled for 10 hours by the local police and banned from any public activity in the country.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is going to push Interpol for a red-corner notice (RCN) against controversial preacher Zakir Naik, wanted by Indian authorities since 2016 for alleged money laundering and inciting extremism through hate speeches, ED sources said.

Naik has been in Malaysia for about three years after he was granted permanent residency in the country. The agency will send a petition to the Interpol to issue an RCN to Malaysia (AP)

The agency has a non-bailable arrest warrant (NBW) against the 53-year-old televangelist, who is currently in Malaysia. “We are armed with an NBW and as per the law, RCN will be the next course of action,” said a source.

On Tuesday, Naik had apologised to Malaysians for allegedly making racist comments, after he was grilled for 10 hours by the local police and banned from any public activity in the country.“The news pertaining to Naik’s speeches being banned is a welcome step from the Malaysian government. We will now enable our investigation agency to initiate the action of bringing him back to our country. A look-out notice is already issued, so it’s possible that he will be brought to face prosecution,” said advocate Hiren Venegaonkar, for ED.

He will respond when there is any development,” a source close to Naik said.

Naik has been in Malaysia for about three years after he was granted permanent residency in the country. The agency will send a petition to the Interpol to issue an RCN to Malaysia, demanding he be extradited to India, according to a treaty between the two nations.

Interpol has in the past rejected the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) request on the grounds that no charge sheet was filed at the time of submission. The agency had termed it as technical grounds and that Interpol had not taken cognisance of it filing a charge sheet against Naik and others before a Mumbai court in October 2017.

The ED had filed its first charge sheet against Naik in May this year. It identified proceeds of crime worth ₹193.06 crore and alleged that Naik’s speeches incited young Muslims to commit terror acts. The ED alleged that Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) had organised peace conferences in Mumbai between 2007 and 2011, in which he attempted to convert people and incite terror acts.

Naik had denied the charges in a statement issued this June.

“The Indian agencies are desperately trying to pin something on me. Some charges, any charges. Which is why when terror charges did not work with the Interpol, they’ve moved on to money laundering. The Interpol refused to accept the Indian government’s charges against me on two different occasions in the past two years, and I don’t see that stance changing,” he had said.

“It’s been more than a year and despite pressure from the Indian government, the Interpol hasn’t issued an RCN. Now, the agencies are trying their luck with money laundering to get the Interpol to issue an RCN,” Naik had said.

Earlier this month, Naik was barred by Malaysian police from addressing a religious event held from August 16 to 18. Naik had been at the centre of a storm since videos emerged of an August 8 event where he said Malaysian Hindus were more loyal to the Indian prime minister than their own country, and took a jibe at the Chinese community as “old guests” in Malaysia. Three ministers had demanded action against him.