Controversial preacher Zakir Naik’s passport revoked

NEW DELHI: A week after TOI reported that NIA has sought to revoke the passport of fugitive televangelist Zakir Naik, the Regional Passport Office, Mumbai on Tuesday issued an order for the same making him a stateless person.

NIA, probing Naik’s speeches that allegedly incited youth to commit terror acts, had moved for passport revocation after he failed to respond to its multiple notices asking him to join the investigation.

Naik has reportedly been travelling between Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and other countries, but this will now restrict his movement, said officials.

The assistant passport officer (policy) at RPO Mumbai wrote to Naik on July 3, directing that he met him on any working day between 10 am and 12.30 pm within 10 days from the issue of the letter, along with his passport dated January 20, 2016. “Failure to submit the passport will force us to initiate necessary action under the Passport Act, 1967 against you,” he warned.

The NIA had written to the RPO, Mumbai, on June 29 seeking revocation of Naik’s passport on the ground that he was “not cooperating with them in the investigation pending against him”. Citing its June 23 communication to the home ministry, the NIA said Zakir Naik had thrice been issued notices under Section 160 of CrPC on February 28, March 15 and March 31 but was yet to join the proceedings against him. It added that a non-bailable warrant had been issued against him on April 21.

Naik had left India on May 13 last year and has not come back.