NEW DELHI: The NIA on Monday started removing the online contents of banned Islamic Research Foundation, including hate speeches by its founder Zakir Naik as part of its ongoing investigation against the proscribed outfit.
The move comes three days after the agency registered an FIR against IRF, Naik and others on Friday and conducted searches the next day at the office premises of IRF and residential premises of its founder. The searches that began on Saturday morning continued till Monday, official sources said.
“All requisite actions that are required to be taken against a proscribed organisation like banning the online activities are being undertaken against IRF," a senior NIA official said.
Soon after the Cabinet Committee on Security decided to ban the controversial outfit, security agencies had blocked its website to check radicalisation.
As a follow up to the blocking of the IRF website, the NIA has now began removing the contents of the radical outfit available online, the official added.
Searches are continuing at the premises of IRF as well as that of Harmony Media Pvt Ltd, from where the contents for Peace TV were being programmed, the official further said, adding the seized hard discs and other electronic storage devices have been sent for forensic analysis.
The agency had on Saturday conducted searches at 12 locations relating to Naik and IRF in Mumbai, a day after registering a case against IRF, Naik and others under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and certain provisions of the Indian Penal Code.
The agency had seized Rs 12 lakh cash and incriminating documents, files as well as electronic storage devices, during searches on various premises of Nail and IRF.
The seized documents relate to various activities including financial transactions and property details of Naik and IRF. A team of Income Tax officials is also assisting the NIA in ascertaining the misuse of the Income Tax Act and other deviations relating to taxation, agency sources added.