No clean chit to Zakir Naik, police to submit report by weekend: official

Mumbai: Mumbai police will submit its report on controversial Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik to the state government before the commencement of the monsoon session of Maharashtra Legislature next week, a top Home Department official today said.

"Contrary to media reports, Zakir Naik has not been given any clean chit by the Mumbai police. All angles are being probed and a report will be submitted to the government before the Monsoon session of the state Legislature (commencing on July 18)," a senior government official said, requesting anonymity.

Read: Mumbai police deny refusing Zakir Naik permission for press conference

Naik, who is now abroad, will be interacting with media via Skype tomorrow, for which arrangements had been made in a small hall in South Mumbai, with the organisers alleging that hotels in the city had been instructed not to provide space for the media briefing under instruction from police, said a statement, which they retracted later.

Read: Owaisi's party supports Zakir Naik, says 'media trial should end'

Facing heat over allegation of inspiring some of the Dhaka attackers through his speeches and under scanner of the state and the central agencies, Naik is expected to clarify his position during the media interaction.

An aide of Naik said in a statement initially that "It's weird and unfair-what's going on. Apparently, hotels in Mumbai have been told not to give out venue for Dr Zakir Naik's press conference. At least 4 hotels, after confirming availability, and some even after taking the booking, have cancelled... We had already sent out media invites (with the details of that venue) yesterday."

Read: Muslim community divided on Zakir Naik: Telangana minorities commission

He claimed in a statement that a manager of one of the private hotels told the organisers in confidentiality that they had been instructed by police not to give out venue for Naik's press conference. He later retracted that statement.

"I am being told that we are not sure under whose instructions the hotels are denying venue for Dr Naik's press conference. But at least four hotels have denied venue in the last 1.5 days," he said in another statement issued later.

Read: Zakir Naik flees to Africa, says 'no govt agency has contacted me'