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NIA removes Zakir's speeches from website

Last Updated 21 November 2016, 19:49 IST

Two days after registering a case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday started removing online contents of the banned Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), which included “hate” speeches by its founder and preacher Zakir Naik.

The agency also continued its searches at the IRF premises, which began on November 19. The government notified the ban on IRF on Thursday citing Naik’s justification of suicide bombings, extolling terrorists like Osama bin Laden, derogatory statements against Hindu gods and inspiring Muslim youths to commit terrorist acts.

An NIA spokesperson said all actions that need to be taken against a proscribed organisation, including banning of its online activities, are being undertaken. The IRF website was blocked soon after the announcement of the ban.

“We have also started the process to remove online content which is available on the Internet and social media sites related to IRF which includes hate speeches of its founder and Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik,” an NIA official said.

According to sources, search operations are still going on at the IRF offices and premises as well as that of Harmony Media Pvt Ltd, from where the programmes were being aired on Naik’s Peace TV.

On Saturday, the NIA had searched 10 premises of the IRF after registering a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The investigators seized documents, files, electronic storage devices and around Rs 12 lakh in cash. “The recovered documents relate to various activities, including financial transactions and property details of Naik and IRF. To assist the search teams, a team of IT experts has been sent from NIA HQ Delhi to Mumbai,” an official statement had earlier said.

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(Published 21 November 2016, 19:49 IST)

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