Tribunal upholds ban on IRF

A special tribunal on Thursday upheld the Centre’s decision to ban Zakir Naik’s Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), saying there were sufficient reasons, including posing a threat to India’s security, to declare it an unlawful association.

The tribunal, headed by Justice Sangeeta Dhingra of the Delhi High Court, found that Naik has failed to participate in the legal proceedings before it and was “absconding and untraceable.”

The Tribunal on February 23 had ordered in-camera hearing in view of the confidential material that was being scrutinised by it.