Maharashtra probe finds nothing against Zakir Naik

Maharashtra authorities for now have given a clean chit to Islamic televangelist Zakir Naik, conceding that there is simply no case to be made out against the preacher, reports The Hindu. Sources in the special State Intelligence Department (SID) team handling the probe ordered by the Maharashtra state government said Naik will not be and cannot be arrested upon his return to India. As part of the preliminary probe, the SID has studied hundreds of YouTube videos and speeches given by him in and outside India. Senior officials said a dossier of evidence has also been received and collected from the other intelligence teams in various states. Recently, it was reported that of law enforcement agencies had busted an Islamic State cell, which was inspired by the speeches of Naik, operating in Hyderabad.

Closely monitoring

“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 something out of turn, we can ‘pin’ him down on a charge. For now, we are closely monitoring him,” The Hindu quoted a senior police official, involved in the probe, as saying.

No evidence

There is no other strong evidence to link Naik to terror-related activities other than reported charges that he inspired the Dhaka and Hyderabad terrorists. His strong defence of religious codes, such as the ones imposed by the Taliban, references to Osama bin Laden, and IS, does not result in any direct or indirect charges against him, senior officials said. Zakir Naik was to return to Mumbai from Mecca on Monday to address a press conference, but decided to head to Africa instead. His family, however, boarded the flight back to India. Supporters of the influential Salafist Islam preacher have already claimed there is no offence to be made out against Naik. His lawyers claim there is no offence to be made out, not even that of a hate speech let alone of fanning terror-related sentiment. “If he has talked about Osama Bin Laden in one of the speeches that in itself does not constitute a charge or offence against him. If one bomber (in Bangladesh) says he was inspired by Mr Naik’s speeches, how can he be held accountable,” Naik’s lawyer Mubin Solkar of Solkar & Associates told The Hindu.