Interpol refuses Red Notice against Zakir Naik

LONDON: The Interpol has again refused to issue Red Corner Notice against Dr. Zakir Naik, instructing all its offices to dispose of all the files and information about the religious scholar and preacher, who fled India a few years back.

The Interpol has communicated India that the notice could not be issued for a lack of evidence about any wrongdoing, a spokesman for Naik in London told this reporter sharing with him the official correspondence.

The Interpol’s Commission took the decision in its 109th session held on 01 to 05.

Subsequently, the Interpol General Secretariat deleted all data on Dr. Naik on 15th July as per a letter from Interpol’s Commission for Control of Files.

The decision comes as a setback to the Indian government that has been persistently trying to get a Red Corner Notice against Naik, who has been accused of radical preaching — a claim Naik rejects.

This is the third attempt of the Indian government to convince the Interpol to issue the notice. The first attempt was made in mid-2017.

The Indian government had multiple meetings and presentations with an Interpol team in New Delhi in the last one year, the source claimed.

The letter addressed to Dr Zakir Naik, the Interpol’s Commission Secretariat said, “After a thorough examination of the elements before it, the Commission found that the data (read “charges”) challenged raised questions as to compliance with applicable rules”. The statement implies that the charges and allegations against Dr. Naik were unsubstantiated and vague, and the Indian authorities had failed to follow the due process of Interpol’s rules of charges and proof submission.

The Session was listening to the charges made by the Indian government through the NCB of India against Dr Zakir Naik of “promoting enmity between two different religious groups on grounds of religion and doing acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony, being a member of unlawful Association etc."

The Indian government had banned Dr Zakir Naik and his organization — Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) — in November 2016.

Following the ban, all the operations of IRF were stopped, and all the staff [relieved of their duties].

Since the ban in 2016, the Indian government has charged Naik with terrorism and money laundering. Naik denies both the charges, terming them politically-motivated.