How Zakir Naik got funds to run his channel remains mystery

MUMBAI: With Zakir Naik having become the focus of intense scrutiny amid allegations that he inspired the Islamist terrorists who struck Dhaka earlier this month, questions are being asked about his source of income.

Specifically, where he got the cash to fund his Peace TV free-to-air channel that began broadcasting in 2006? The Maharashtra state police estimates that this would have entailed spending “crores” of rupees, an official said.

Confusingly enough, there have been reports that Peace TV never actually obtained a broadcasting licence.

At his press conference via Skype on Friday from Saudi Arabia, Naik was at pains to present his credentials as a “messenger of peace” and condemn terrorism on the day France was coming to terms with the truck attack in Nice.

To be sure, Naik’s assertion came with something of a caveat. “Killing innocent people is prohibited in Islam and I condemn all terrorist attacks,” he said.

“It is haram (prohibited) if innocent people are being killed. But if suicide bombing is used as a tactic of war, then it may be permitted. For example, in World War II, Japan used suicide bombing as a tactic of war.” Naik also said that he would be open to answering questions from any Indian agency but added that he had no plans to return to India this year.

Those questions are likely to include the source of his funding and the provenance of his medical degree, police officials told ET.

“Starting a channel means pumping in crores of money,” said a Mumbai police official.

“We are going to ask him to produce balance sheets and accounts of the channel and ask him what is the source of the funds through which he started his channel.”

Police officials are also investigating whether Naik is indeed a medical doctor as he declares. Naik’s name is not registered in the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) records, they said.

ET has also checked the MMC archives and not come across the name. “We are checking whether he completed the MBBS course where there is a mandatory internship and registration with the medical council,” said the police official.

“It is possible that he may not have renewed his registration after it expired, in which case we have to ascertain how long he practiced.”