Pune ISIS Module: NIA charge sheet details how accused doctor brainwashed others

A diagram detailing the complex connections between members of the ISIS terror module

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which cracked down on the ISIS module in Maharashtra last year, revealed details about the accused's communication methods and their role in promoting the terror organisation's ideology in India. The charge sheet includes the names of highly educated individuals who zealously propagated terror through speeches on various platforms.

In two separate NIA cases, it's been noted that the accused utilised different platforms, with numerous calls between the arrested and the absconding ISIS Maharashtra module members. The charge sheet also highlights instances where the accused communicated with ISIS handlers through emails, pledging allegiance to the ISIS caliphate.

Zulfikar Ali Barodawala, the senior project manager who drew a salary of Rs 31 lakh per annum; (right) Dr Adnan Ali Sarkar, the Pune-based anaesthesiologist

The NIA has filed charge sheets against 13 accused in both cases. The first was initially investigated by the NIA, while the other came to light after the Pune police arrested two bike thieves, revealing their involvement as alleged absconding members of Ratlams Al-Sufa terror group, which is linked with ISIS. The Pune case, initially handled by the ATS, was later transferred to the NIA due to the broader international scope of the investigation.

Highly radicalised

As per the charge sheet, the accused were highly radicalised and intended to establish Sharia law in India. In both cases, connections in Thane's Padgha and Pune's Kondhwa were identified, where the accused allegedly pledged allegiance to the ISIS caliphate and communicated with ISIS handlers via email. The NIA charge sheet also contains details about discussions on ISIS ideology in WhatsApp and Telegram groups among the accused, with several chats and videos recovered during the investigation.

"The social media accounts of accused persons viz Gmail, Telegram, Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp have revealed that they were using these platforms to communicate with each other and share information about their activities, plans and funding organisations linked to ISIS and incriminating material related to violent jihad, khilafat, etc," reads the charge sheet.

Doctor's arrest

Of the six accused charge-sheeted in the first case, Dr Adnan Ali Sarkar, a 43-year-old leading anaesthesiologist in Pune, drew considerable attention. According to the NIA chargesheet, he used to deliver lectures in a Pune mosque in support of violent jihad, the revival of the caliphate and hijra (migration) to the land of jihad (sic) under the guise of religious topics during dars [lectures]. These seminars, as per the charge sheet, were also conducted at the Pune Central School (PCS) library.

Shamil, the son of former SIMI member and blast convict Saquib Nachan, was also arrested by the NIA in the ISIS module case

The charge sheet claims that several videos of lectures espousing ISIS ideology have been recovered from his phone. "To destroy the mobile phone containing incriminating videos, PDF files and PPTs, he threw his device into muddy water in Bhairoba nullah, Wanawari, Pune before his arrest in July 2023. The same is evident from CCTV footage recovered from adjacent premises, namely Om Sadabahar Complex Co-operative Housing Society, Holay Vasti, Wanarari, Pune," reads the charge sheet.

According to the charge sheet, electronic devices recovered during the search of Dr Sarkar's house and hospital locker contained videos featuring firing and footage of bombings and militants giving speeches related to terrorist activities and clips put out by ISIS of Ahmad Musa Jibril, an Islamic radical preacher, concerning jihad; numerous images related to violent jihad, bayat [oath of allegiance to a leader] and ISIS terrorists with flags; and several PDF files on khilafah and jihad, a magazine on Ghazwa-e-Hind [Indian subcontinent under Islamic rule], information on topics like suicide martyrdom and legality of martyrdom operations and with various books on jihad. Additionally, Dr Sarkar was found frequently communicating with other accused through email and chat.

Senior project manager

Another startling arrest for the agency was that of Dr Sarkar's brother-in-law, Zulfikar Ali Barodawala alias Lalabhai, a senior project manager at a multinational company who drew an annual package of R31 lakh. According to the chargesheet, he had been a member of a WhatsApp group since 2015, where he posted and shared messages promoting ISIS ideology. His role included encouraging vulnerable Muslim youths to join ISIS.

Each accused had their own groups on social media, where they promoted ISIS ideology and delivered lectures. Representation Pic

The charge sheet reveals that in 2015-16, Barodawala allegedly met friends at Ahmed Building, Byculla, delivering lectures where he asserted that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the caliph of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, was their Amirul Momineen [Commander of the Faithful]. He advocated for Muslims to pledge allegiance to ISIS, showcasing the Dabiq magazine and discussing ISIS ideology and activities in Iraq, Syria, and other controlled areas. The NIA also alleges that he communicated with Abu Hamza, a suspected ISIS handler, via Telegram in 2021. The charge sheet mentions multiple visits to Padgha, where he eventually shifted from Kondhwa, believing Padgha to be equivalent to Al-Sham [the Levant i.e. modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Cyprus and Turkey's Hatay Province].

Nagpada resident

Another notable figure in the charge sheet is Tabish Nasser Siddiqui, 24, a Nagpada resident. An email of his to ISIS outlined the oath Barodawala and he undertook. Siddiqui advocated for relocating to Padgha, likening it to Al-Sham. According to the charge sheet, Siddiqui and Barodawala met in 2015, had extensive discussions about joining ISIS, both took bayat, and emailed ISIS at dabiq.is@india.com on July 31, 2016. He received a response from ISIS stating, "Good job, update your contact details, number, and address; we will be in touch."

As per the NIA, Siddiqui was highly radicalised. "After the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, he retook bayat on the new Khalifa of ISIS, ‘Sheikh Amir al- Muminin Khalifa tul Muslimin Abu Husayn Al Hind Al Qurashi," the charge sheet reads. In December 2022, he shared the bayat with the official Telegram ID of ISIS. The charge sheet claims he used a virtual number and network to communicate with ISIS handlers and other accused, planning to migrate to Khurasan in Afghanistan as directed by handlers.

As per the charge sheet, he prepared content titled ‘Istishadi [martyrdom] Operation'. On March 8, 2023, he sent documents on this to a Telegram contact. As per the charge sheet, he had also shared a DIY kit file titled ‘efficiency.pdf' to ISIS wherein he shared information about how to maximise the efficiency of explosive substances. He also visited Kupwara in Kashmir in 2018 and stayed there for a week. He allegedly sent an email to ISIS about the situation in the region and discussed establishing ISIS rule there.

Senior associate

Zubair Noor Mohammed Shaikh, an individual arrested from Kondhwa, was employed as a senior associate with a leading tech company. The charge sheet indicates that he was involved in promoting ISIS ideology and radicalising Muslim youths. Additionally, he was found in possession of CDs featuring Anwar al-Awlaki, a Muslim scholar killed in a 2011 drone strike by the US government in Yemen. He also had several meetings with one Abdul Kader Pathan, who was charge-sheeted in the Pune case by the NIA. He created a group called ‘Unity in Muslim Ummah' and promoted the ideology of ISIS and jihad and also used to lecture on the subject.

Padgha connection

Sharjeel Shaikh, residing in Padgha, worked in the network support team of a leading electronics company in Andheri. He is a relative of Siddiqui. Shaikh, like his co-accused Barodawala, was in direct contact with ISIS handler Abu Hamza through Telegram. He, too, regarded Padgha as Al-Sham and advocated for everyone to relocate there. According to the NIA, Shaikh had several meetings with Shamil Nachan, previously arrested by the NIA in another case, in Padgha. Shamil, the son of former SIMI member and blast convict Saquib Nachan, was also arrested by the NIA in the ISIS module case. The NIA claims that Saquib is the leader of all the accused in the case, having administered the rite of bayat. He is also a member of the WhatsApp group ‘Meem', where he shared ISIS videos and expressed support for the group. The agency claimed that he had given $176 to a Syria-based organisation called Merciful despite knowing that it was linked to ISIS.

Aakif Nachan, another resident of Padgha, is also accused in the Pune case. He maintained contact with the accused in the first case through social media, actively promoting ISIS ideology. The NIA notes that some of his gadget reports from forensics are still awaited.

The NIA charged seven accused in the Pune case, including Shamil. The agency claimed that Shamil attended several meetings and found his links in the ISIS Maharashtra case. According to the previous charge sheet, hand-written notes of Shamil were discovered, outlining details about making IEDs. Besides Shamil, Aakif and Barodawala are also accused in the Pune case, playing similar roles in promoting ISIS ideology. The Pune ISIS charge sheet includes the names of accused Yunus Saki and Imran Khan, who were arrested by the Pune police during night patrolling. The duo was attempting to steal a bike for potential terror activities. The charge sheet also mentions Kader Pathan, a graphic designer, and Seemab Kazi, a senior programmatic executive in a US-based company.

The current charge sheet highlights the connections between the accused in both cases through social media. They actively worked towards propagating ISIS ideology in Maharashtra. Each accused had their groups on social media, where they promoted ISIS ideology and delivered lectures to radicalise Muslim youths. The Pune accused allegedly carried out explosive training in the jungles of Maharashtra and were about to execute their plans in metro cities, including Mumbai, and had also rented a house in Pune to impart bomb-making training.

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No of people charged in Pune case