KOCHI: The controversial Muslim survey, which created a furore across the state last year, is likely to be referred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for further probe. “Considering the grave nature of the offence, this is a fit case to be handed over to the NIA. We will discuss it with the police officer concerned,” state public prosecutor T Asaf Ali said.The controversial survey was carried out by Hyderabad-based TNS India Private Limited at Friends Nagar, Attakulangara, Thiruvananthapuram, on October 2 last year. Each booklet contained 93 questions with multiple-choice answers. Certain questions were related to Islamism and meant for Muslims only, the police report said.Some questions contained elements that could affect communal harmony, it said. “On the whole, are things in India generally going in the right direction, or are they going in the wrong direction?” was one of the posers.During investigation, the police seized 18 booklets and three answered questionnaires. Three women were also taken into custody. However, they were released later as they were employees of TNS India. TNS India director Deepak Saxena and branch manager B M Santhosh are among the accused. The company’s managing director and other top officials may soon be included in the accused list. The survey was conducted in some sensitive Muslim areas, which had a history of communal violence, the report said.The questionnaire put the Muslim community in ‘suspicious’ position, it said. Hence, the accused have been charged with causing disharmony or hatred within the religious community.In its defence, TNS India, the Indian arm of TNS Global Group Holdings Limited in UK, said the booklets were prepared to support a study on a project titled ‘Green Wave 12’ for its US-based client Princeton Survey Research Associate.The study was meant to enable its client understand the country’s traditions, values and attitudes, it said. The company had conducted similar surveys in 54 locations across the country and there were no complaints on earlier occasions, the petition said. The same questionnaire was included in the survey conducted in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
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