NIA arrests Pune doctor in connection with Maharashtra ISIS module case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday, July 27, made the fifth arrest in connection with the Maharashtra ISIS Module case for promoting violent activities of the banned terrorist group.

Renowned anaesthesiologist Dr Adnan Ali Sarkar was taken into custody by the NIA sleuths following raids at his Kondhwa residence in Pune.

The case was first registered on June 28 and four others were arrested by NIA on July 3 following extensive searches. They were identified as Tabish Nasser Siddiqui from Mumbai, Zubair Noor Mohammed Shaikh alias Abu Nusaiba from Pune, and Sharjeel Shaikh and Zulfikar Ali Barodawala from Thane. 

The NIA further stated that during the raid, several incriminating materials, such as electronic gadgets and several documents related to ISIS were recovered.

The material exposed the accused’s allegiance with ISIS and his role in promoting the outfit’s violent agenda by motivating and recruiting vulnerable youth, the agency said.

The agency further said that it will continue to probe the Maharashtra ISIS module case to unravel all the full contours of the ISIS conspiracy.

Sarkar has been a doctor for sixteen years; he completed his MBBS in 2001 from B.J. Government Medical College in Pune and further completed his MD Anaesthesia from the same college in 2006. He is known to speak English, Marathi, Hindi and German languages. There are eighteen publications which he has co-authored with field experts.

The NIA raids related to this case followed credible inputs that the accused  and their associates had recruited youth and trained them in the fabrication of IEDs and weapons.

Further, on the directions of their ISIS handlers, the accused had also created inflammatory media content, which was published in the magazine 'Voice of Hind'.