UAPA tribunal confirms 5-year extension of ban imposed on fugitive Zakir Naik's IRF

New Delhi: A tribunal under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) has confirmed the Centre's decision declaring Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) as unlawful and imposing a five-year ban on the organisation set up by fugitive Zakir Naik who is accused of inspiring Muslim youths in India and abroad to commit terror acts.

The one-member tribunal, which was constituted by the government last year to consider whether there was sufficient cause for declaring IRF as an unlawful association, said in its order dated March 9 that there was "sufficient cause" behind the imposition of the ban on the association.

The then Delhi High Court Chief Justice D N Patel, who was the presiding officer of the tribunal, stated that he was "in full agreement" with the submissions made by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Centre, and there was material to show that IRF was indulging in unlawful activities.

The tribunal observed that IRF involved in activities which not only incites and encourages the youth to undertake the unlawful activities with an intent to threaten the sovereignty, unity, integrity and security of India but also causes disaffection against the country and there is every reason to conclude that the organisation be declared as an unlawful association. The IRF was first banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967) by the central government on November 17, 2016. The ban was extended for five years on November 15, 2021.

In a notification, the home ministry said the central government had constituted a tribunal consisting of Justice D N Patel, Chief Justice of the High Court of Delhi, on December 13, 2021 for adjudicating whether or not there was sufficient cause for declaring the IRF as an unlawful association.