Mumbai, November 7, 2026: A Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court has convicted Dr Adnanali Sarkar, one of the six accused in the Maharashtra ISIS terror module case, after he pleaded guilty to charges of terror conspiracy, recruitment and support for the banned outfit. The court sentenced him to a maximum of six years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a cumulative fine of Rs 65,000.
Court Records Guilty Plea And Pronounces Sentence
The Special NIA Court, presided over by Judge Dr Abhay A Joglekar, recorded Sarkar's plea of guilt on November 7 and convicted him under Sections 13, 18, 20, 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and Sections 201 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The court directed that all substantive sentences run concurrently.
Alleged ISIS Recruitment And Radicalisation Network
According to the prosecution's case, the six accused were allegedly part of a larger conspiracy to further the activities of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a banned terrorist organisation, and recruit more members in India. The alleged conspiracy involved conducting meetings, creating WhatsApp and social media groups, and organising online lectures on radical ideologies, including jihad and khilafat, under the guise of religious preaching.
The court order states that the accused allegedly used these platforms to radicalise youth, promote the ideology of violent and armed jihad and encourage them to pledge allegiance (Bayath) to the ISIS caliph. They were also allegedly planning to recruit and train youth in making improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and weapons, and had shared related material and do-it-yourself kits among themselves.
International Links And Foreign Handlers
The investigation also revealed alleged international links and the involvement of foreign-based ISIS handlers, who were reportedly directing the accused to create media content and publish it in the outfit's propaganda magazines to promote its ideology and recruit members. The accused allegedly communicated with these handlers through encrypted applications and reported their activities to them, the court order noted.
According to the NIA, the accused were also involved in propagating ISIS ideology, radicalising and recruiting individuals, raising funds for terrorist activities and circulating propaganda magazines, including Voice of Hind and Voice of Khurasan. The investigation also brought to light the alleged use of the network to further ISIS activities in the country under the direction of handlers based abroad.
NIA Investigation And Chargesheet
The NIA registered the case suo motu on June 28, 2023, following information received from the Ministry of Home Affairs about the alleged conspiracy. After completing its investigation, the agency chargesheeted six accused — Tabish Nasser Siddiqui, Zulfikar Ali Barodawala alias Lalabhai, Sharjeel Shaikh, Aakif Ateeque Nachan, Zubair Noor Mohammad Shaikh alias Abu Nusaiba and Sarkar.
Doctor Cites Family Responsibilities
In his application seeking permission to plead guilty, filed on October 28, Sarkar told the court that he was a qualified anaesthesiologist and had been practising medicine before his arrest. He cited his family responsibilities, including his wife, four children and elderly parents, while seeking a lenient sentence. The court gave him seven days to reconsider his decision and subsequently verified that his plea was voluntary and made without coercion, threat or inducement.
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Sarkar, who has been in judicial custody since July 27, 2023, told the court that he regretted his actions and was pleading guilty keeping in mind his future and that of his family. The court said the offences were serious and that the sentence should serve as a deterrent.
While Sarkar has now been convicted, the trial against the remaining five accused is continuing. All six accused are currently in judicial custody.
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