Islamic preacher Zakir Naik has sued TimesNow Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami for Rs 500 crore for defamation, alleging that the news anchor ran a "hate campaign" and "media trial" against him. The notice issued by the televangelist's lawyer Mubin Solkar said also claimed that the channel, though Goswami's remarks, had hurt the Muslim community and Naik's religious sentiments, Firstpost reported.
The TimesNow chief has also been accused of "promoting disharmony and feelings of hatred...between different religious groups", according to Naik's notice. The preacher has demanded an unconditional apology from Goswami, in addition to a retraction of the comments made on his news channel, Tehelka reported.
Naik has been under scrutiny since it emerged that one of the militants behind the siege at a cafe in Dhaka had been inspired by the preacher's speeches. Bangladesh later banned his international Islamic channel Peace TV from being broadcast in the country. Funding for his Islamic Research Foundation is also being investigated.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!