Mumbai cops begin probe against Zakir Naik

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed the Mumbai Police officials to open an inquiry against Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, according to Zee News.

The probe will include a probe into his public documents, according to the report.

The Maharashtra government has ordered the police officials to probe all the recordings of Zakir Naik's speeches.

Also, confirming that inquiry has begun, Mumbai Police said Zakir Naik's public documents, videos and social media posts are being examined.

The move by Maharashtra government came a day after Bangladesh asked India to examine the speeches of Naik on Peace TV, Zee News reported.

"The home ministry will study (his speeches) and it will take appropriate action after studying them," Zee News quoted Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu to be saying in Delhi yesterday.

On the Dhaka attackers following him on Facebook, Naik, speaking from Mecca, said the largest percentage of his Facebook followers are from Bangladesh.

“Ninety percent of Bangladeshis would know me, including senior politicians, philanthropists, common men, students and more. Fifty percent would be my fans. Am I shocked that the attackers knew me? No.”

This, however, does not mean that he endorses their methods, he said. Stating that a lot of people “come close to Islam” because of him, he said such people then listen to other speakers, including some who, in the name of Islam, misguide thousands.

“Such a person would be a hardcore fan of Prophet Muhammad. Does that mean Prophet Muhammad told him to kill people?” Naik asked, adding that the Quran explicitly states that when a person kills another, of any religion, “it is as though he has killed the whole of humanity”.