KOZHIKODE: Intelligence agencies and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have started to track the financial dealings of a few companies in Kerala that reportedly had association with firms incorporated by Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) chief Zakir Naik.
Intelligence Bureau (IB) officers said that various agencies were working to track the financial transactions which the suspected companies had with the companies owned by Zakir Naik and his family members.
“The probe is in the initial stages and it is premature to make a comment on it,” said an NIA officer.
However, Intelligence officers said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in association with the Ministry of Finance, has collected the complete details of the transactions made by the companies of Naik. As per reports, Zakir Naik had set up two real estate companies — ‘Longlast Construction’ and ‘Right Property Solutions’ apart from a video and television production house in Mumbai.
“IRF has received foreign funding mainly from Saudi Arabia, UK and other Middle-East countries. The probe will ascertain whether the Kerala-based companies had dealings with Zakir Naik through their subsidiaries in Middle East,” officers said.
The agencies have been tracking down the details after Kerala Police unearthed the association of the management committee of Kochi-based Peace International School had with IRF.
A case was also registered against the committee after the school was found to be following a syllabus which promoted enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion.
The management committee had representations of three prominent business groups.