Maharashtra: Renowned Pune doctor arrested in ISIS module case

Dr. Adnanali Sarkar

In a significant development in the ongoing investigation of the ISIS Maharashtra module, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has made another crucial arrest, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to five.

Dr. Adnanali Sarkar (43), a well-known medical practitioner from Pune, was apprehended by the NIA on Thursday during a series of raids conducted in Kondhwa, Pune. The agency acted swiftly on intelligence reports and uncovered incriminating evidence that points to Dr. Sarkar's involvement in promoting violent activities on behalf of the proscribed terrorist outfit, ISIS.

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During the searches at Dr. Sarkar's residence, the NIA seized a cache of electronic gadgets and documents, all of which provided undeniable proof of the accused's deep-rooted affiliation with ISIS. The recovered material further revealed Dr. Sarkar's active role in motivating and recruiting vulnerable youth to further the outfit's violent agenda.

The investigations have revealed that the accused was an integral part of the ISIS conspiracy, operating under various aliases such as Islamic State (IS), Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Daish, Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), ISIS Wilayat Khorasan, and Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham Khorasan (ISIS-K).

According to NIA sources, Dr. Adnanali Sarkar aimed to disrupt the unity, integrity, security, and sovereignty of the country and conspire against the Government of India, all as part of the ISIS conspiracy through the infamous 'Maharashtra ISIS module.'

This recent arrest marks the fifth individual taken into custody in connection with the case, following the NIA's registration of the investigation on 28th June 2023. Among the previous detainees are Tabish Nasser Siddiqui from Mumbai, Zubair Noor Mohammed Shaikh (also known as Abu Nusaiba) from Pune, and Sharjeel Shaikh and Zulfikar Ali Barodawala from Thane. All four were arrested on 3rd July 2023 after extensive search operations in Mumbai, Thane, and Pune.

"The NIA is committed to unearthing the full extent of the Maharashtra ISIS module conspiracy and will continue to probe diligently to bring all those involved to justice," the NIA said in a statement.