HC issues bailable arrest warrant against man acquitted of radicalising youngsters to join IS on NIA’s plea

He was booked in 2016 when he was working as the guest relations manager at the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) founded by controversial televangelist Zakir Naik. In 2017, the NIA took over the probe from Mumbai Police and filed chargesheet against Qureshi.

On Thursday, Special Public Prosecutor Amogh Singh for NIA argued that there was direct evidence against Qureshi of his connection with the ISIS and Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), a banned organisation under UAPA. However, the same was not considered and appreciated by the trial court.

When the bench remarked that NIA’s case was based only on circumstantial evidence, Singh responded that there are witnesses establishing the case including that the person called Akhlaq, who travelled to ISIS was influenced by Qureshi, the evidence which the trial court has not considered.

Singh further claimed that several youth from Kerala were radicalised and were sent to ISIS by Qureshi and the acquittal order was required to be quashed and set aside.

When the judges asked who represented Qureshi, Singh said that while the vakalatnama was not filed, he was represented by a lawyer in January 2025 and a formal notice be issued to the respondent. The HC had issued notice to Qureshi during the hearing on July 25, 2024.

The bench stated that Qureshi was not represented through his counsel during hearing on Thursday and “in fact, none has filed Vakalatnama” on his behalf. Posting further hearing to April 9, the HC noted, “Issue a bailable warrant against Respondent No. 1 (Qureshi) in the sum of Rs 50,000 with two sureties of the same amount to be executed before the investigating officer, NIA, National Investigating Agency, Mumbai within four weeks.”