NEW Delhi has put in a formal extradition request for controversial preacher Zakir Naik, reports Free Malaysia Today, quoting India’s External Affairs Ministry.

This comes two days after Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad questioned whether India can guarantee Zakir a fair trial.

“Before we accept an extradition request (from India), we need to know what will happen to the person who is to be extradited… we are also entitled to determine if the person we send back would be given fair justice,” he was reported as saying in Malacca.

Zakir, meanwhile, has expressed confidence that Malaysia will back him and oppose any effort by India to have him returned to his home country.

“I am positive that the Malaysian government will not be misled by the politically motivated allegations made by the anti-Islamic Indian government.”

FMT quoted Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar as saying the country has extradition arrangements with numerous nations, and has seen successful extraditions in the past.

“We will continue to pursue the matter (regarding Zakir) with Malaysia.

“The fairness of the Indian justice system has never been in question.”

The preacher, wanted by Indian authorities for alleged money-laundering and terrorism, has sought an assurance from the country’s Supreme Court that he will not be jailed until his conviction.

He said he will return to India should the top court give him the said assurance in writing, and expressed trust in the country’s judiciary, but not so much its prosecution system.

India media reported that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is set to secure arrest warrants for Zakir and others in an ongoing trial being heard by a special court in Mumbai under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002.

The Mumbai court will decide whether a non-bailable warrant should be issued against the preacher at the next hearing on June 19.

ED will then request an Interpol red notice against him, as well as his extradition from Malaysia, after obtaining a non-bailable warrant.

Zakir, who has permanent resident status in Malaysia, has consistently rejected all the allegations against him. – June 12, 2019.