Pune, Maharashtra: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested prominent anaesthetist Adnan Ali Sarkar on July 26, 2023, exposing his role as a key ISIS recruiter in the Maharashtra terror module case. Authorities charged the 45-year-old doctor with promoting violent ISIS ideology, recruiting vulnerable youth, and conspiring to wage war against India. This breakthrough followed intense raids and interrogations, revealing a network involved in bomb-making workshops and propaganda dissemination. The case highlights the infiltration of radical elements into professional circles, with Sarkar's medical background masking his extremist activities.
Adnan Ali Sarkar, a consulting anaesthetist at a leading Pune hospital, built a double life rooted in his education and religious pursuits. Born into a Bohra Muslim family, Sarkar embraced the Sunni faith early on and associated with a religious foundation led by an Arabic teacher. He completed his MBBS in 2001 and MD in anaesthesiology in 2006 at B J Medical College in Pune. Earlier, he attended school in Akola and Bhusawal towns in Maharashtra and worked at a prominent Mumbai hospital.
Sarkar resided in Pune's Kondhwa area with his wife and children. He actively conducted Arabic classes in Kondhwa, served as the main speaker for the Islamic Awareness Society in Pune, and delivered 'Dars': religious lectures that authorities later linked to ISIS promotion. His brother-in-law, Zulfikar Ali Barodawala, played a central role in the module, tying family connections to terror plots. Sarkar's published medical research papers contrasted sharply with the incriminating ISIS materials found in his possession, including electronic gadgets and documents on 'Hijra' migration to Syria.
The NIA traced the module's origins to a secretive meeting on December 18, 2015, in Pune, where alleged ISIS operatives gathered—prompting investigations that first flagged Sarkar's name. In 2016, Maharashtra's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) questioned him but released him without charges, allowing his activities to persist.
Fast-forward to June 28, 2023: The NIA formally registered the ISIS Maharashtra module case, targeting a group sharing DIY kits for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and small weapons. On July 3, 2023, NIA teams raided locations across Mumbai, Thane, and Pune, arresting four suspects: Tabish Nasser Siddiqui from Nagpada in Mumbai, Zubair Noor Mohammed Shaikh (alias Abu Nusaiba) from Kondhwa in Pune, and Sharjeel Shaikh and Zulfikar Ali Barodawala from Padgha in Thane. Zubair Shaikh, a former IT engineer who lost his job years earlier, provided crucial leads during interrogation, directly implicating Sarkar.
Investigators uncovered bomb-making and training workshops operating from a Kondhwa house between 2022 and 2023. The group conducted controlled explosions to test IEDs and performed additional bomb tests in Pune's jungles. By August 2023, NIA arrested Aakif Ateeque Nachan from Borivali-Padgha for his involvement in IED fabrication.
Sarkar's arrest on July 26, 2023, sealed the initial phase. Searches at his Kondhwa residence yielded electronic devices and documents exposing his allegiance to ISIS, including propaganda magazines like 'Voice of Hindi' and 'Voice of Khurasan.'
There has been quite some discussion about Dr. Adnan since NIA has made the arrest.
NIA operations dismantled a sophisticated terror setup spanning Maharashtra and Gujarat. During the July 3, 2023, raids, agents seized explosive materials, tents, a drone, and electronic devices from the Kondhwa workshop. The accused shared instructions for fabricating IEDs and small arms, including pistols, fueling plots to disrupt India's sovereignty.
Zulfikar Ali Barodawala and Aakif Ateeque Nachan emerged as hands-on operatives in these activities. Barodawala, arrested alongside Sharjeel Shaikh, faced charges in multiple cases, while Nachan's expertise in IED assembly linked him to the 2022-2023 training sessions. The module raised funds for ISIS and targeted youth for recruitment, with Sarkar as the ideological driver. Evidence pointed to broader connections, including Gujarat-based arrests tied to the same religious foundation behind bomb blasts.
In a parallel development, NIA and Jammu & Kashmir Police busted a 'white collar terror module' involving doctors linked to the November 10 Delhi Red Fort blast, underscoring a pattern of professionals turning radical.
By December 2023, NIA filed a chargesheet under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against Adnan Ali Sarkar and five others, accusing them of recruitment, fund-raising, and possessing ISIS propaganda. The document detailed their conspiracy to disturb India's unity, integrity, security, and sovereignty.
In November 2023, NIA submitted another chargesheet against 11 accused, including Barodawala and Nachan, in a separate Pune ISIS module case. This filing covered the bomb workshops, explosions, and seized items, marking a comprehensive crackdown on the network.
(Rh/ARC/MSM)