Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik on Wednesday said he wouldn’t return to India until he felt he would get a “just and fair” probe.
His statement, issued through his PRO, came amid reports that he was being deported to India from Malaysia.
“The news of my coming to India is totally baseless and false. I have no plans to come to India till I don’t feel safe from unfair prosecution. Insha Allah when I feel that the government will be just and fair, I will surely return to my homeland,” a statement issued by Dr. Naik, who has studied Medicine, read.
Dr. Naik, who is facing charges of inciting communal disharmony and committing unlawful activities, is believed to be in Malaysia. Last year, he made a rare public appearance at the prominent Putra Mosque in Kuala Lumpur.
MEA's extradition request
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had made a formal request to the government of Malaysia for his extradition last January and has been pursuing it through diplomatic channels. “We have seen media reports regarding the deportation of Zakir Naik by the Malaysian government. We are yet to receive official confirmation in this regard from Malaysian authorities,” an official in the Ministry told The Hindu .
The spokesperson of the Ministry of Home Affairs said there was no communication from the Malaysian government on Dr. Naik’s return to India.
He is facing a probe by the National Investigation Agency and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after his sermons on his Peace TV were cited as a reason by Bangladesh for an attack in Dhaka in 2016, which left 22 people dead.
Dr. Naik’s NGO – Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) – has also been declared unlawful since 2016 and is being probed by the ED over allegations of money laundering to the tune of more than Rs. 18 crore.
