As per sources, the Indian Government on Thursday sent a formal request to Malaysia, for the extradition of controversial Islamic Preacher Zakir Naik. The government is said to be pursuing the matter with great interest.
PM Modi had discussed the topic last year
Last September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a discussion regarding the topic with his Malaysian counterpart, Mahathir Mohammad, at the 5th East Economic Forum in Russia. Following the meeting, Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had said:
“Prime Minister Modi raised the issue of Zakir Naik’s extradition. Both the parties have decided that our officials will stay in contact regarding the matter and it is an important issue for us.”
India sends in a formal request on Thursday
On Thursday, the Indian Government sent a formal request to Malaysia for the extradition of the preacher. Zakir Naik has been facing charges of inciting communal disharmony and committing unlawful activities in India.
In connection with the 2016 terror attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, Zakir is facing probe in both India and Bangladesh. One of the terrorists who was involved in the Dhaka attack had told the authorities that he was influenced by Zakir Naik’s preaching. Reports also suggest that Zakir is the mastermind behind the Sri Lanka Easter Blasts that had killed 290 people.
The NIA has booked him under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Zakir has been living in Malaysia since the last three years, and it is said that his stay in the country has been uneventful. In 2017, his passport had been cancelled by India, and several requests were made to Malaysia for extradition, all of which were refused back then.
Source: Times of India
