Not once, but ISIS recruit got money from Zakir Naik's NGO twice

Anas had received Rs 80,000 first. Following this he again received Rs 70,000

Mumbai, Nov 25: The National Investigation Agency has found that alleged ISIS recruit, Abu Anas had received an amount of Rs 1.5 lakh towards scholarship. During the first round of the investigation, the NIA had found that an amount of Rs 80,000 had been given by the Dr Zakir Naik run, Islamic Research Foundation to Anas.

However, while probing deeper another transaction of Rs 70,000 to Anas had been found. Investigators say that the total amount given to Anas in two transactions amounted to Rs 1,50,000.

The NIA is still probing to find out if the amount given to Anas had anything to do with his joining the ISIS. Was he radicalised because of his association with the Islamic Research Foundation or not is still under probe.

Anas had first received an amount of Rs 80,000 from IRF in October 2015. Three months later Anas an engineer was on his way to Syria to fight alongside the ISIS. He was, however, arrested.

The case of Anas is interesting. Radicalised and determined he decided to give up his job as an engineer to take the ISIS path. The answer that the NIA is looking for is whether the scholarship given to him had anything to do with his decision of joining the ISIS.

An officer in the NIA says that it may not be a mere coincidence. "The two incidents could well be related. It is a well known fact that several terrorists have confessed they were inspired by Zakir Naik's speeches. By taking a scholarship a person become indebted to an organisation. This could have been a turning point for Anas," the officer also notes.

The funding and the pattern are crucial to the probe. Whether funds were being pumped into the IRF so that it would undertake radicalization exercises is one part of the probe. Were only Naik's speeches the trigger that lead to the radicalization or did funds have a role to play in it is another part of the probe.

Further the complaints about the IRF being involved in large scale conversions is also a subject matter of investigation, the NIA official also added.

OneIndia News