Lens on top MHA official over clean chit to Zakir Naik's NGO

NEW DELHI: After suspending four officers over the renewal of foreign funding licence of Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation ( IRF), the home ministry is now examining the role of an assistant director-level official in giving a clean chit to the NGO last year, based on an inspection of its accounts of June 2014.

Though the clean chit did not pass muster at the higher levels, with the then deputy secretary of the home ministry's FCRA monitoring unit seeking discussion on the same, the circumstances under which the all-clear was proposed may now be inquired into. The assistant director had also observed that the complaint alleging FCRA violations by IRF was made “just out of motive to teach a lesson to Dr Zakir Naik“.

Going through IRF's accounts from June 2 to June 6, 2014, the inspection team made as many as 30 "adverse" observations to which IRF submitted its reply. Among the observations was a Rs 50 lakh donation from IRF's FCRA account to Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust on June 7, 2011.

The inspection report dated March 19, 2015 and signed by the assistant director sought closure of the case, noting that Naik "is a preacher of Islam and due to his interpretation of Holy Quran and holy books of other religions, many groups have raised their voice against him". The report further said, "In India, different religions have their corresponding faiths and... and we should be proud and respectful towards each other's ethnicity and religion. But, certain stereotypes, who are the master of debauchery, have sprouted and rooted deep about the thoughts they have, amongst countrymen, which are nothing but plain gibberish."




Submitting that the inspection and discreet inquiry by intelligence agencies had failed to establish any IRF links with Al Qaida, Taliban, Mumbai serial bombings, terror attacks etc, the report recorded that "it appears that the complaint has been made just out of motive to teach a less to Dr Zakir Naik and nothing else".

Interestingly, the file proposing the clean chit gathered dust until the Dhaka terror attack trained the spotlight on Naik. Through March 2015 to July 2016, it was not put up for discussion by the under-secretary despite clear instructions from the deputy secretary. A home ministry source said that when the inspection report was taken up as part of scru tiny of Naik's dealings, officers were shocked to see how each of the 30 adverse observations made by the inspec tion team had been dismissed, accepting the IRF's explanation in toto.

"It appears that the assistant director in his conclusion reiterated the claims and clarifications offered by IRF verbatim, without applying his mind," said an officer.TOI has learnt that home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi took a serious note of this and found it a valid ground for suspension of then joint secretary (foreigners) GK Dwivedi. "As joint secretary, he was expected to periodically review pending files relating to inspection of NGOs. But this was not done. There was a clear failure of supervision," said the officer.

The revelation adds a new dimension to the reasons behind Dwivedi's suspension, which had the IAS officers' association up in arms. The body had argued that he was being unfairly punished and had no role in “automatic“ online renewal of IRF licence done at the level of under-secretary .

Sources said senior officers in the home ministry have now sought an inquiry against the assistant direc tor concerned, who is no longer with the monitoring unit of FCRA division.

The inspection report had detailed IRF's reply to all 30 observations made by the home ministry team. These were mostly found to be genuine and accepted by the inspection team. For instance, as regards the Rs 50 lakh donation to RGCT, IRF explained that the money was donated as RGCT worked in the poorest areas of UP, and that it was the IRF trustees' view that the funds should be given to non-Muslim outfits.

Interestingly, the inspection report said IRF's Rs 50 lakh transfer to RGCT did not reflect in its FC-6 return as it was utilised as a common donation despite RGCT holding two FCRA registration numbers for two different projects. “In future, due care will be taken and shown separately in FC-6 return,“ IRF had said in its reply .

The inspection team finally said that "it seems the donation was given to Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust with genuine motto. Therefore, the observation may be considered as dropped".