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Police said one of the two men accused in the assassination plan was already arrested in June. The second suspect was a 28-year-old identified as “Naseem,” also known by the alias Rizwan. Naseem was arrested Tuesday after investigators received a tip on his whereabouts and “laid down a trap,” according to a police news release. Police alleged that Naseem was “a desperate robber” and contract killer who took orders about “eliminating the writer” from Chhota Shakeeel, believed to one of the leaders of D-Company.

On Facebook, Fatah posted a photo of himself in a witch’s hat, boasting that his Halloween had been cheerful as ever despite “a wannabe assassin in India.” On Wednesday, however, he admitted the reports had shaken him.

“I feel I’m putting on an act by saying I’m not scared,” he said in an interview. “It’s a very strange feeling.”

Fatah, a Muslim, was born in Pakistan and emigrated to Canada in 1987. As an author, columnist and radio host, he often uses his platform to criticize what he views as extremism in Muslim society that is “held hostage by hateful pretenders of piety.” In recent years, his views have courted controversy. A contributor to Rebel Media, Fatah has sided with Donald Trump’s proposed ban on immigration from several Muslim-majority countries and supported a debunked theory that a Muslim was involved in a deadly shooting at a Quebec City mosque in January.

On his Fatah’s Fatwa show, discussions about Islamic issues with members of the Indian Muslim community regularly become heated, with one guest threatening to slit his throat. The show, he said, touched on incendiary topics — like polygamy — in India, where Islamic issues are rarely discussed publicly and tensions between the Hindu majority and Muslims are usually left unspoken.

Fatah told the Post earlier this year that the popularity of his show had seen him mobbed in the street by fans and advised by police to keep a low profile. And this spring, authorities suggested he leave India and “comeback later on” due to an apparent risk to his safety, he said.

Investigators were not available to answer questions on the motives behind the alleged assassination attempt. Fatah, though, said he believes the motive is clear. “They’re upset about what I said on my television shows.”

With files from Tom Blackwell

• Email: jedmiston@nationalpost.com | Twitter: jakeedmiston