The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested a Pune-based doctor Adanali Sarkar for his alleged links to ISIS in the ongoing investigation of the ISIS Maharashtra Module. This is the fifth person to be arrested by the central agency from Maharashtra in connection with the case.
The doctor, identified by the NIA, is a resident of Kondhwa, Pune. During searches at the doctor's house, the agency seized several incriminating materials, such as electronic gadgets and several documents related to the ISIS, the NIA said in a statement. "The material exposed the accused’s allegiance with the ISIS and his role in promoting the outfit’s violent agenda by motivating and recruiting vulnerable youth," the statement further said.
“The accused had hatched a conspiracy to further ISIS terrorist activities… NIA probe has revealed that Sarkar was trying to disturb the unity, integrity, security and sovereignty of the country, and wage a war against the Government of India as part of the ISIS conspiracy through the organisation’s Maharashtra ISIS module,” the statement added.
The NIA had earlier made four arrests in the case after extensive searches in Mumbai, Thane and Pune. The accused were identified as Tabish Nasser Siddiqui from Mumbai, Zubair Noor Mohammed Shaikh @ Abu Nusaiba from Pune, and Sharjeel Shaikh and Zulfikar Ali Barodawala from Thane. The agency added that it will continue to probe the “Maharashtra ISIS module” case to unravel all the full contours of the conspiracy.
Two accused sent to judicial custody
A special court in Mumbai on Friday again remanded two persons arrested in the ISIS module case in the custody of the NIA after the probe agency said they had provided “fund and shelter” to accused in a terror-related case registered in Rajasthan.
Zubair Shaikh and Zulfikar Ali were among the four who were held earlier this month by the NIA in the ISIS module bust case and were in judicial custody at present. The NIA on Friday said it had received information that the Pune unit of Maharashtra's Anti Terrorism Squad arrested two persons wanted by the Central probe agency for their alleged involvement in a terror-related case in Rajasthan.
The court, after hearing both the sides, remanded Zubair Shaikh and Zulfikar Ali in the custody of the NIA till July 31.
