NIA arrests Bangalore eye surgeon with 'ISIS link'

A Bangalore based eye surgeon was arrested by National Investigation Agency on Tuesday in connection with Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) case. Investigation revealed that Abdur Rahman was in the process of developing a medical application for helping the injured ISIS cadres in the conflict-zones and a weaponry-related application for the benefit of ISIS terrorists.

Bengaluru: National Investigation Agency on Tuesday arrested Abdul Rahman, a resident of Basavangudi, Bangalore in connection with Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) case.

Twenty-eight-year-old, Abdul Rahman was working as an ophthalmologist at M.S. Ramaiah Medical College, Bangalore. His case was initially registered by Delhi Police Special Cell in March, 2020, after the arrest of a Kashmiri couple Jahanzaib Sami Wani and his wife Hina Bashir Beigh from Okhla Vihar, Jamia Nagar in Delhi.

The couple were found to be involved with ISKP, which is a banned terrorist organisation and is a part of ISIS. Moreover, they were also found to be involved in subversive and anti-national activities. After investigation, it was highlighted that they had links with Abdullah Basith, who was already lodged in Tihar jail in another NIA case.

Besides the couple, NIA arrested two more accused, Sadiya Anwar Sheikh and Nabeel Siddick Khatri, both residents of Pune, they were arrested for being part of the conspiracy to initiate riots in the background of anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests. During interrogation, arrested accused Abdur Rahman confessed that he was conspiring with accused Jahanzaib Sami and other Syria-based ISIS terrorists.

Abdur Rahman was in the process of developing a medical application for helping the injured ISIS cadres in the conflict-zones and a weaponry-related application for the benefit of ISIS terrorists. He had visited an ISIS medical camp in Syria in early 2014 for treatment of ISIS terrorists and stayed with Islamic State operatives for 10 days before he returned to India.

After arresting him, NIA carried out searches at his three different premises in Bangalore with the assistance of Karnataka Police and seized digital devices, mobile phone, laptop containing incriminating material. The arrested accused will be produced before the NIA Special Court at New Delhi and NIA remand will be sought for his custodial interrogation.