Government likely to slap terror charges on Zakir Naik, ban his NGO

The Centre is all set to slap terror charges on Islamic tele-evangelist Zakir Naik and is set to declare his Islamic Research Foundation+ (IRF) as an "unlawful" organisation.

The charges - pertaining to his alleged role in motivating over 50 accused in terrorism-related cases have been formed on the basis of the scrutiny of his speeches, the Times of India reported.

The home ministry plans to book Naik under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for his jihad-inspiring speeches, the daily reported. "The primary ground for invoking terror charges against Naik are statements by those involved in past terror acts, conceding that they were motivated by his speeches," an intelligence officer told the daily.

Among the alleged terrorists who have recorded statements against Naik are Feroze Deshmukh, a former IRF employee arrested for his alleged role in the 2006 Aurangabad arms haul case; Qateel Ahmed Siddiqui, an Indian Mujahideen member murdered inside Pune's Yerwada prison in June 2012; alleged IS recruiter Afsha Jabeen, who was arrested in September 2015 on deportation from the UAE; and Mudabbir Sheikh, Mohammed Obaidullah Khan, Abu Anas and Mohammed Nafees Khan, who were arrested in raids by the NIA in January for floating an IS affiliated outfit named Junood-ul-Khalifa-e-Hind, TOI reported.

According to the report, the UAPA will be used to ban the IRF on the grounds of spreading hatred between religious communities through public speeches, activities and "forced conversions".