The Interpol had turned down India's first request for a Red Corner Notice against Zakir Naik
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will file a fresh request before the Interpol for issuing a Red Corner Notice against controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, after
its previous plea was rejected on the grounds that the agency had not filed any charge sheet against him, officials said on Sunday.
Now that
a charge sheet has been filed against the controversial televangelist, the NIA will move the Interpol again for a Red Corner Notice, the officials said.
Interpol had indicated that the main reason for accepting Zakir Naik's demand to cancel the red notice request was linked to India jumping the gun and making a "premature" request. The Interpol's panel that decides on these notices underlined that the purpose of a red notice is to facilitate a country to seek the extradition of an accused charged for an offence, not a suspect merely under investigation.
A Red Corner Notice would have restricted international travel for Zakir Naik, who has been changing his base frequently after the NIA petititioned the Interpol for an international arrest warrant against him, the officials told news agency Press Trust of India.
The 52-year-old Naik welcomed the Interpol's decision. "Am relieved but would be more relieved if my own Indian government and Indian agencies gave me justice and also cleared me for all the charges," he said in a video message.
The Islamic preacher is being probed on terror and money laundering charges. He fled India in July last year after terrorists in Bangladesh claimed that they were inspired by his speeches. That revelation prompted security agencies in India to take a hard look at his speeches and other activities. By November, Zakir Naik's
Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) was also outlawed under India's anti-terror law to "safeguard national security".
His present place of stay is unknown and it is believed that he has been shuttling between the UAE, Saudi Arabia and African and Southeast Asian countries.
With inputs from PTI