Bengaluru: NIA chargesheets doctor Abdur Rahman for sedition

Bengaluru: Ophthalmologist Dr Abdur Rahman has been named in the charge sheet filed by the National Investigation Agency in connection with the criminal conspiracy and waging war against the government.

The charge sheet has been filed under various sections of the IPC and UAPA.

“Rahman was furthering the ideology and activities of proscribed terrorist organization ISIS/Islamic State of Syria and Khorasan Province (ISKP) in connivance with co-accused Jahanzaib Sami Wani and others for committing subversive/anti-national activities,” stated the NIA charge sheet submitted before the special court in New Delhi.

The NIA arrested Rahman (28), the son of a reputed ophthalmologist in Bengaluru, on August 17. On September 2, it filed a charge sheet against five accused — Jahanzaib Sami and Hina Bashir Beigh from Srinagar, Abdullah Basith from Hyderabad, Sadiya Anwar Shaikh and Nabeel Siddick Khatri from Pune — under various sections of IPC for criminal conspiracy, sedition, promoting enmity between groups on grounds of religion and disappearance of evidence, and also under UAPA Sections.

“Rahman was radicalized while listening to the online lectures of hardline Islamic preachers including Anwar Awlaki,” the NIA has stated.

He had traveled to Syria in December 2013, and participated in terrorist activities of ISIS.“On his return to India, he utilized his knowledge of ophthalmic lasers and medical science and tried to develop applications for medical and military requirements of the banned terrorist organization. He was in regular touch with ISIS terrorists located abroad as well as in India, including Sami, on a secure messaging platform Threema,” the NIA has stated.