Bengaluru doctor Abdur Rahman was arrested by the NIA for alleged links with ISIS
A doctor in Bengaluru who was arrested by anti-terror operatives for having alleged links with the terrorist group ISIS was scheduled to join duty this week to look after people infected with COVID-19, the vice principal of the medical college where the accused studied has told NDTV. The vice principal said they were not aware of what the accused, Abdur Rahman, did outside the college hospital after duty hours.
Rahman, 28, who worked as an ophthalmologist at MS Ramaiah Medical College, was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday based on intelligence gathered from a couple who were arrested in Delhi in March this year.
The couple also allegedly had links with ISIS and other terrorists, including a man in Delhi's Tihar jail.
The NIA in a statement said Rahman had been making a medical app to help injured ISIS terrorists in conflict zones and even "weaponry-related application for the benefit of ISIS".
Dr Shalini Chandrashekhar Nooyi, vice principal of MS Ramaiah Medical College, said the terror accused finished medical studies in the college this year after a three-year course.
"He was admitted to the college in June 2017. His admission was based on government quota after NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test). He was here for three years as a postgraduate student and he just finished studies. He was a normal student. Just like any other student, he was quite hard-working. He did whatever was asked of him. And he would do all his duties quite regularly," Dr Nooyi said.
"He was a local student, not a hosteller. So we know of him only while he was in the hospital and doing his hospital duties. After official hours, hospital hours, we were not aware of his activities. He finished his duties in June and in July he finished his exams. The results were out a few days ago. All the students who have finished their exams have to report back to the institution for duty. So he was posted for COVID-19 duty from today," Dr Nooyi said.
The NIA has said Rahman visited an ISIS medical camp in Syria in early 2014 to treat terrorists and stayed with them for 10 days before returning to India. After arresting him, the NIA and the Bengaluru Police carried out searches at three places belonging to Rahman in the city. The NIA said it seized a mobile phone and a laptop containing incriminating material.
Rahman will be produced before the NIA's court in Delhi, where the anti-terror agency will seek his custody for interrogation.