The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested an ophthalmologist working in a Bengaluru hospital, who was in the process of developing a medical application for helping injured ISIS cadres in conflict zones and a weaponry-related application for the benefit of ISIS fighters, the agency said in a statement on August 18.

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The accused identified as 28 years old, employed at the M.S. Ramaiah Medical College in Bengaluru. A resident of Basavangudi in Bengaluru, he was arrested by NIA on August 17 in connection with the agency's probe in which Kashmiri couple-from Okhla Vihar, Jamia Nagar in Delhi were arrested after it was found that they had affiliations with (Islamic State of Khorasan Province (IKSP), a banned terrorist organisation and a part of ISIS, and were found to be involved in subversive and anti-national activities.

During interrogation, he confessed that he was conspiring with Syria-based ISIS operatives on secure messaging platforms to further ISIS activities, NIA said in a statement. Significantly, he had visited an ISIS medical camp in Syria in early 2014 for treatment of ISIS terrorists and stayed with Islamic State operatives for 10 days and returned to India, the NIA said. "He was in the process of developing a medical application for helping the injured ISIS cadres in the conflict-zones and a weaponry-related application for the benefit of ISIS fighters," the agency said.

After arresting him, NIA carried out searches at 3 premises belonging to him in Bengaluru with the assistance of Karnataka Police and seized digital devices, mobile phone, laptop containing incriminating material. They were also found to be in touch with a person, who was already lodged in Tihar jail in another NIA case (ISIS Abu Dabhi Module), the agency said. During the further investigation in the case, NIA arrested two more accused-both residents of Pune, for being part of the conspiracy to "further the activities of ISIS/ISKP in India" and to "carry out subversive activities in the garb of anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests".

The arrested accused will be produced before the NIA Special Court at New Delhi and NIA remand will be sought for his custodial interrogation, the agency said. Further investigation in the case is continued, NIA said.