*NEW DELHI- *
India’s efforts to bring back Zakir Naik, the controversial preacher wantedfor terror-related activities, have been facing a roadblock for the lastseven months, officials of the National Investigating Agency have toldNDTV. The Interpol, which normally issues a Red Corner Notice within threeweeks, has not even responded to India’s request, the officials said. Itis possible that the international agency is not satisfied with the caseagainst Zakir Naik, who has made a case that he is being politicallypersecuted in India, the officials conceded.
A Red Corner Notice, closest to an international arrest warrant, is thefirst step to extradition of a suspect who is holed up in a foreigncountry. India’s request for the extradition of Zakir Naik has been turneddown by Malaysia. Last week, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad saidZakir Naik has been given permanent residency status and will not be sentback “as long as he is not creating any problem”.
India’s initial request for a Red Corner Notice against Zakir Naik wasreturned by Interpol as a court had not taken cognizance of the caseagainst him. After the legal formalities, it was submitted again inDecember last year. “But they (the Interpol) have not even replied back,”a senior officer of the National Investigation Agency told NDTV.
Normally if the Interpol is satisfied with the paper work and the detailsabout the case against an accused, they issue a Red Corner Notice withinthree weeks. This was the case even for wanted tycoons Vijay Mallya,diamond traders Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.
Officials say now that Zakir Naik has been given permanent resident statusby Malaysia, there is a long legal battle ahead. “It means that theMalaysian government is siding with him and he is just a step away fromattaining citizenship of that country,” an official said.