NEW DELHI, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- India's anti-terror agency Saturday booked controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and raided several offices of his banned Islamic Research Foundation in Mumbai.
Highly placed sources said that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has booked Naik and his organization on charges of "spreading enmity" among religions. "The case was registered against the 50-year-old after anti-terror sleuths examined Naik's speeches telecast on Peace TV," sources said.
The tele-evangelist has, however, not been arrested as he is currently in Saudi Arabia and has so far refused to turn himself in to the Indian authorities for questioning.
Local TV channels showed footage of anti-terror sleuths raiding at least 10 offices of Islamic Research Foundation since this morning, with help from the local police, and reported that sleuths have seized several documents from the organization's offices.
Naik came under the lens of the Indian government after Bangladesh blamed him of making speeches that could have provoked some of the terrorists who had attacked a Dhaka cafe in July, killing over 20 people and injuring several others.
After Bangladeshi authorities met their Indian counterparts, police filed some cases against him for allegedly inciting young men, while the government banned his organization for five years. His foundation was earlier restricted from receiving foreign funds without government's permission.
Naik had in September written an open letter to the Indian government, seeking details of the charges levelled against him, and said they were an "attack on Indian Muslims" and against "peace, democracy and justice."
