Prove Ganesha is bhagwan, then I will eat the Prasad, Dr Zakir Naik said

Investigation further revealed that the IRF and the IRF Educational Trust have received huge donations from the public, within India and from abroad.

The National Investigation Agency filed a chargesheet detailing the crimes committed by controversial Islamic preacher Dr. Zakir Naik. Investigations conducted by the NIA revealed that Naik through his organisation, Islamic Research Foundation had promoted hatred and enmity between different religious groups in India.

He has conspired with the IRF Trust and the Harmony Media Private Limited to commit offences of promoting enmity and hatred between different religious groups in India through his public speeches and lectures, deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs, the NIA says.

The investigation conducted by NIA has firmly established that the incriminating public speeches/utterings have been in circulation through the electronic media, such as CD/DVD and web portals Facebook/ YouTube, etc.; and have been, and continue to be seen, across the world. The minutes of IRF board of trustees' meetings disclose that IRF had approved, organized, promoted and funded public lectures of accused Zakir Naik including his incriminating speeches. The seized material such as DVD and books list IRF as the publisher, the NIA chargesheet also says.

The Investigation has also established the role of Harmony Media Private Limited in collusion with co-accused Zakir Abdul Karim Naik in video-recording the incriminating speeches of accused Zakir Abdul Karim Naik, editing the same for public view, making master DVD of incriminating speeches for further replication and circulation to general public, forwarding the speeches to the Global Broadcast Corporation, Dubai, for broadcast in the Peace TV.

The investigation has established that many incriminating speeches of accused Zakir Naik were delivered during the 10-day Peace Conference organized by IRF in Mumbai from 2007 to 2011. The Minutes of IRF Board of Trustee's Meetings confirm that the IRF had planned, organized, funded and promoted this event where there was open exhortation to convert people of other religion into Islamic religion by Zakir Naik. His lecture tours were funded by the IRF. The covers of DVDs also had the name of the IRF along with its address. His derogatory, insulting and controversial comments have always been defended by the IRF.

During the investigation, it was found that through his public lectures/speeches, accused Zakir Naik deliberately and maliciously insulted the religious beliefs of Hindus, Christians and non-Wahabi Muslims, particularly Shia, Sufi, and Barelwis, with intention of outraging their religious feelings. RF and HMPL have been instrumental in the maximum circulation of such incriminating speeches in the form of CD/DVD/ TV program, the NIA also said.

During the investigation, nine speeches and/or utterings, in particular, were found to be inflammatory as they hurt the religious sentiments besides inciting violence. These speeches are titled as 'Terrorism and Jihad - an Islamic Perspective', 'Media and Islam: War or Peace' 'ZN se Poochiye Sawal wa Jawab ka Khula Ijlaas', 'Zakir Naik se Poochiye sawal wa Jawab ki Khuli Nashisht' 'Similarities between Hinduism and Islam' (QA Session), 'Concept of God' (Q & A Session), Ask Dr.Zakir an exclusive open question and answer session Chennai, Ask Dr. Zakir an exclusive open question and answer session, Dubai Day-1, Ask Dr. Zakir an exclusive open question and answer session, Dubai Day-2.

The investigation has also brought on record that in September 2012, during the Ganpati festival, two quotes of Zakir Naik taken from his speech given earlier in Srinagar, were uploaded on his Facebook account by the IRF for public view.

The texts were 'If you prove to me that Shri Ganesh is Bhagwaan then I will eat the prasaad,' and 'If your 'Bhagwan' cannot recognize his own son (Sri Ganesh), how will he recognize me if I fall into any difficulty?'

The investigation has revealed that Zakir Naik admitted before the Supreme Court that the said controversial quotations were posted on his Facebook account by an employee of the IRF named Asif Sheikh. Though Zakir Naik told the court that the said Asif Sheikh was no longer an employee, the investigation has revealed that he continued to work in the same capacity but his name was removed from the list of IRF employees to cover up the matter and he was shown as an employee of another outfit called as Islamic dimensions.

Investigation further revealed that the IRF and the IRF Educational Trust have received huge donations from the public, within India and from abroad. Most of the acknowledgment receipts show only 'Well Wisher' instead of the real name of the donor.
During the investigation, it was found that Nailah Naushad Noorani, sister of Zakir Naik, was a trustee of the IRF Educational Trust along with him. When Zakir Naik became an NRI in 2013, he appointed Nailah Naushad Noorani as Director in Harmony Media as well as in Longlast Constructions Company, in his place. It was found that she was Director on paper only; all the affairs of companies were handled by her brother. She signed the cheques on the instruction of her brother and had no knowledge of the company affairs.

Furthermore, she had received Rs 29 crores from Zakir Naik through her parent's bank account between 2013 and 2016. This money was further invested into Harmony Media and Longlast Constructions company as per Zakir Naik's instructions.

The investigation revealed that huge funds have been received by the domestic and foreign entities and individuals related to accused Zakir Naik. The investigation has also revealed that huge quantity of cash has been generated in the system by entities and individuals connected to Zakir Naik which has been invested in real estate and holding companies. The investigation has revealed that there are 19 immovable properties, including land and building, worth Rs 104 Crores connected with the accused Zakir Naik.

The source as well as the mode of acquisition of these properties is being investigated.

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