An inexpensive Nitric acid activated carbon is prepared from stems of Abutilon Indicum plant (NAbIC). Its fitness to remove fluoride ions from contaminated water has been studied using batch adsorption methods by varying the major parameters such as pH, contract time, initial fluoride ion concentration, adsorbent dosage, particle size and temperature and these conditions have been optimized for maximum extraction of the fluoride. The effect of co-ions has also been studied. The active carbon has been characterized for various physicochemical parameters to assess the suitability of adsorbent for de-fluoridation waters. Freudlich as well as Langmuir isotherms are plotted and kinetic constants are determined. Correlation coefficient (R2) and dimensionless separation factor (RL) values have confirmed that adsorption obeys Langmuir adsorption indicating monolayer formation. Further, Temkin isotherm and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm have been analyzed for the system and the values of the Temkin heat of sorption, B=0.224 J/mol and the Dubinin-Radushkevich mean free energy, E = 3.16 kJ/mol indicate that the adsorption is ‘physisorption’ in nature. Pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, Weber and Morris intraparticle diffusion, Bangham’s pore diffusion and Elovich equations have been applied to identify the rate and kinetics of adsorption process. The adsorption process has good correlation coefficient values with pseudo-second-order model. SEM-EDX techniques of the active carbon have shown a morphological change of the surface after adsorption and FTIR studies indicated the involvement of some surface functional groups in fluoride adsorption. The procedure developed is applied to real fluoride contaminated ground water samples and found to be successful.