Hyderabad youth arrested in Saudi for organising Zakir Naik meeting

HYDERABAD: Syed Zaker Raheem, a Hyderabad man who was allegedly involved in a conspiracy to assassinate Hindu right-wing leaders, has been given permanent exit from Saudi Arabia and was brought to Hyderabad on Friday. According to reports, Raheem was among those who organised meetings of Indian Muslims in Saudi Arabia involving IRF founder Zakir Naik. Intelligence sources have reportedly found evidence of this in the form of photographs of Raheem and others with Zakir Naik. Another Hyderabad Salam Zubedi together with Raheem working closely in Saudi Arabia towards terror activities. “These two Hyderabadis used to informally organise Darsga and call preachers to motivate and, if possible, recruit persons for clandestine terror activities. We came to know that on one or two occasions, Naik was invited and he gave his discourse at Salam’s residence. Raheem admitted meeting Zakir Naik and taking photographs, but denied organising the meetings. We have our doubts that Raheem or Salam would have organised it,” TOI quoted an anonymous source as saying. Raheem, a resident of Saidabad and is the brother-in-law of Farhathullah Ghori, who is the accused in a 2012 terror case in Hyderabad, and has been absconding. Ghori had reportedly fled to Pakistan, from where he was promoting the Islamic State. In the 2004 conspiracy, Raheem was booked by police on charges of criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity between different groups on religious grounds, and under the Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act. Raheem was living in Riyadh and was working in an insurance company. “Raheem was arrested by Saudi authorities in May 2016 from Riyadh where he was residing since he left India,” an NIA official told IANS. However, Raheem claimed he was not in touch with Ghori as they had both developed differences after Raheem’s 2002 India visit. On January 19, Raheem was returned to New Delhi and was taken into custody by the Central Crime Station police and brought to Hyderabad on Friday. Inputs IANS