NIA Arrests Abdur Rehman, An Ophthalmologist Working In Bengaluru Hospital, For Developing Medical And Weaponry App For ISIS

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested an ophthalmologist working at Bengaluru’s M S Ramaiah Medical College - Abdur Rahman, who was developing a medical application for helping the injured ISIS cadres in Islamic State Khorasan Province Case (ISKP) and a weaponry-related application for the benefit of ISIS fighters, Hindustan Times reported quoting a NIA press release.

Abdur Rahman, a resident of Basavangudi in Bengaluru, is said to have visited an ISIS medical camp in Syria in early 2014 for treatment of ISIS terrorists and stayed with Islamic State operatives for 10 days and returned to India.

With the assistance of Karnataka Police, NIA carried out search operations at 3 premises belonging to Abdur Rahman in Bangalore and seized digital devices, mobile phone, laptop containing incriminating material.

The arrest of Abdur Rahman was based on a case registered by Delhi Police Special Cell in March, 2020, following 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 have close links with ISKP, a banned terrorist organisation and is a part of ISIS.

Two others, Sadiya Anwar Sheikh and Nabeel Siddick Khatri, both residents of Pune, were also arrested in the case and charged with conspiracy to further the activities of ISIS/ISKP in India.

The investigation led to the arerst of Abdur Rahman who is said to have conspired with with Jahanzaib Sami and other Syria-based ISIS operatives on secure messaging platforms to further ISIS activities.