The NIA is trying to block Zakir Naik's online pages that contain alleged 'objectionable' material.

Days after it filed a police case against controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and raided several locations linked to his organisation Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), the National Investigation Agency or NIA has said that the tele-evangelist was sponsoring an alleged ISIS sympathiser.

Sources in the NIA said that the IRF had paid Rs 80,000 to Abu Anas - a resident of Tonk in Rajasthan - who had been arrested in January this year in an ISIS-related case. The money had apparently been sent to him as a scholarship in October last year. As per the anti-terror agency, Mr Anas - who is presently held at Delhi's Tihar Jail - was planning to go to Syria and fight for ISIS at the same time.

The NIA had registered a case of promoting enmity against different groups on the basis of religion against Mr Naik and IRF last Friday.

Since the FIR was registered, the NIA has conducted searches at 20 locations and recovered video tapes and DVDs of Zakir Naik's public speeches, documents related to property and investment, foreign and domestic funding of IRF and its associated companies.

It also removed online content related to IRF from websites.

Sources in the agency also said that they are scrutinising documents of several companies to check their financial dealings with IRF, or anyone connected to the banned NGO.

These companies, namely Harmony Media Private Limited, Longlast Constructions Private Limited, Right Property Solutions Private Limited, Majestic Perfumes Private Limited and Alpha Lubricants Private Limited, also received foreign funds for their operations.

Mr Naik, 50, came under Indian government's scanner after the Bangladeshi government accused him of making speeches that could have incited some of the terrorists who attacked a Dhaka cafe in July, killing 20 people.