Mumbai, July 4 (PTI): Zakir Naik, the controversial Islamic preacher who has been residing in Malaysia to evade arrest in various cases in India, today said he would not return home till he felt “safe from unfair prosecution”.

Naik's statement, issued through his Public Relations Officer here, came amid reports that he was being deported to India from Malaysia.

”The news of my coming to India is totally baseless and false. I have no plans to come to India till I don't feel safe from unfair prosecution,” said Naik in the statement.

He added that he would “surely return to my homeland” when he feels “that the government will be just and fair.”

The National Investigation Agency had in November filed a chargesheet against Naik, accusing him of promoting enmity between religious groups through his speeches and inciting youths to take up terror activities.

The government has also banned Naik's Islamic Research Foundation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The NIA and Mumbai Police, subsequently, had also carried out searches at 10 places in Mumbai including residential premises of some of the office bearers of the foundation run by Naik.

The foundation was earlier put on restricted list by the home ministry for receiving funds from abroad.

A correction. July 4, 2018

In the earlier version of this report, in the third paragraph, PTI had incorrectly quoted Naik as saying “…I have no plans to come to India till I don’t feel safe from unfair prosecution,”

PTI has since deleted the word “don’t”.