The Union Home Ministry suspended four of its officials for allegedly renewing the license to receive foreign funding of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), run by controversial televangelist Zakir Naik.

Among the four officials suspended is the Joint Secretary of the Foreigners Division, G K Dwivedi, reported The Times of India.   

“The MHA has suspended four officers, including Dwivedi and three officers below him. A departmental inquiry is being ordered against him to find out if there was any mala fide intention behind renewal of registration of IRF under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 (FCRA). Action will be taken accordingly, “an MHA official told the newspaper.

According to the report, officers at the MHA doubt that the renewal could have resulted through a simple oversight.

This development has caused the centre major embarrassment as it comes in the wake of allegations against the religious preacher and his organisation for inciting terrorism.

The IRF came into focus when it emerged that the perpetrators of the Dhaka cafe attacks in July, which killed 29 people, were influenced by Zakir Naik’s speeches.   

Junior Minister of Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, also confirmed the suspension of Home Ministry officials to the news agency ANI.

We've taken action against some officers as they didn’t follow rules & instructions of govt: Kiren Rijiju, MoS Home pic.twitter.com/dcUjjlZAA4

— ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016

Any organisation involved in some illegal activities or a case is pending, we don’t renew their case: Kiren Rijiju, MoS Home

— ANI (@ANI_news) September 2, 2016