NIA files chargesheet against doctor in Islamic State-Khorasan Province case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet in a special NIA Court here against a medical doctor based in Bengaluru in connection with an Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) case.

The chargesheet has been filed under sections 120B read with 124A and 125 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 18, 20, 38 and 39 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against Dr Abdur Rahman (28) who is a resident of Bengaluru in Karnataka.

NIA said that the accused has been chargesheeted for furthering ideology and activities of proscribed terrorist orgsation ISIS/ISKP in connivance with co-accused Jahanzaib Sami and others for committing subversive/anti-national activities in India.

Earlier, a chargesheet was filed on September 2, 2020 against five accused persons namely Jahanzaib Sami and Hina Bashir Beigh, Abdullah Basith, Sadiya Anwar Shaikh and Nabeel Siddick Khatri under sections 120B, 124A, 153A and 201 of IPC and sections 13, 17, 18, 38, 39 and 40 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

NIA said that this case arose out of Delhi Police Special Cell, FIR number 85/2020 dated March 8, 2020 pertaining to arrest of Jahanzaib Sami W and his wife Hina Bashir Beigh from Okhla Vihar, Jamia Nagar in Delhi on the same date on receiving an input that they were affiliated to the banned terrorist orgsation ISKP, a part of ISIS, and were planning subversive/anti-national activities in India.

NIA had re-registered the case on March 20, 2020 and took up the investigation.

Dr Abdur Rahman was arrested on August 17, 2020 from Bangalore by NIA.

NIA said in its chargesheet: "As a student of MBBS at Bangalore Medical College, Abdur Rahman got radicalised while listening to the online lectures of hardline Islamic preachers including 'Anwar Awlaki'. Subsequently, he came into contact with other radicalised youth and travelled to Syria in December 2013 and participated in various terrorist activities of ISIS."

"After his return to India, he continued to remain associated with the ideology of ISIS. Utilising his knowledge of ophthalmic lasers and medical science, he made efforts to develop applications for medical and military requirements of ISIS. To this end, he was in regular communication with ISIS terrorists located abroad as well as in India including Jahanzaib Sami on Threema, a secure messaging platform," it added.

NIA further stated in the chargesheet: "Consequently, he had achieved significant progress towards developing a medical application for treatment of ISIS terrorists and also a Laser-Guided Anti-Tank Missile application for controlling the trajectory of the missiles for enhancing their effectiveness for furthering the cause of ISIS."

Further investigation in the case is ongoing.

( With inputs from ANI )