New Delhi, October 14: Most of the people who have been arrested by security forces for suspected ISIS links were radicalised by the speeches and videos of Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, National Investigation Agency (NIA) IG Alok Mittal told during a conference of anti-terror teams on Monday. He also said that in three of the cases, the accused were inspired by videos of Zahran Hashim, the mastermind of the Sri Lanka serial bomb blast. Zakir Naik Banned from Delivering Public Speeches in Malaysia Post 'Racist Remarks' Against Hindus, Permanent Resident Status at Stake Too.

"Accused in the majority of these ISIS cases have also admitted that they were radicalized through videos of Zakir Naik and other Islamic preachers, so a case was registered against Naik and his organization Islamic Research Foundation (IRF)," Mittal said. Zakir Naik in Trouble? Malaysia Govt Bars Controversial Islamic Preacher From Addressing Event After His 'Racist' Comments on Ethnic Minorities.

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"In three of these ISIS cases from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the accused have admitted that they were radicalized by Zahran Hashim's videos. Hashim, as we know, is the mastermind of the Easter day bombings in Sri Lanka," he added.

The 127-odd people have been arrested from different parts of the country in the last few years due to ISIS links. Most of the arrests were made from Tamil Nadu (33), Uttar Pradesh (19), Kerala (17), Telangana (14), and Maharashtra (12) among other states.

For the last three year, Zakir Naik has been living in Malaysia after his organisation "The Islamic Research Foundation" was declared illegal by the government. The NIA in 2017 filed a charge sheet against him for radical activities, giving hate speeches and promoting hatred between communities.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 14, 2019 01:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).