Controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik’s non-governmental organisation Islamic Research Foundation sponsored an alleged Islamic State group sympathiser, IANS reported quoting unidentified National Investigation Agency officials. The official said the NGO gave Abu Anas, currently in Delhi’s Tihar jail, Rs 80,000 grant in October 2015. Anas, a resident of Rajasthan’s Tonk, was reportedly planning on joining the militant group in Syria.

The NIA has been conducting searches since November 19 and have raided at least 20 premises in Mumbai which are connected to the IRF or its trustees.

During the search operations, video tapes and DVDs of Naik’s speeches, documents related to property and investment, financial transactions, foreign and domestic funding of the proscribed IRF as well as its associated companies, and electronic storage devices have been recovered.

The NIA is still trying to block Naik’s Facebook page, Twitter account and YouTube videos that contain alleged objectionable material and may seek help from authorities in the US where the servers of Google and Yahoo are located.