Jaish-e-Mohammad’s India link: Lucknow doctor arrested for recruiting women for terror network

New Delhi : Explosive revelations have emerged in connection with the Delhi blast case that killed 12 people, with investigators confirming that the arrested Lucknow-based doctor, Dr. Shaheen Shahid, had been working directly under the Pakistan-based terror organization Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) to create a female recruitment and operational network within India.

According to Delhi Police sources quoted by NDTV, Dr. Shahid was assigned the responsibility of setting up the women’s division of JeM — an outfit already under international sanctions for orchestrating major terror attacks across India.

The investigation further revealed that she was closely associated with Sadia Azhar, sister of JeM founder Masood Azhar, and was tasked with coordinating operations for Jamaat-ul-Mominaat, the women’s wing of JeM. Sadia Azhar’s husband, Yusuf Azhar, one of the masterminds of the Kandahar hijacking (1999), was reportedly killed in a counter-terror operation named Operation Sindhur earlier this year.

Police say that Dr. Shaheen’s arrest followed the discovery of a large consignment of explosives near Faridabad, linked to the same module that executed the recent Red Fort car blast in Delhi. The car, packed with improvised explosive devices, detonated near the monument, killing 12 and injuring several others.

Investigators recovered 2,900 kilograms of explosive and incendiary materials from two rented rooms in Faridabad, believed to have been used as a storage and assembly site. During the raids, officials also seized an assault rifle, a pistol, and ammunition from a vehicle registered in Dr. Shaheen’s name.

“Her proximity to key JeM handlers and her ability to recruit educated Indian women into radical networks was alarming,” a senior Delhi Police officer said. “She was not just a sympathizer, but an active participant with clear logistical roles.”

Authorities confirmed that Dr. Shaheen had earlier worked at Al-Falah University in Faridabad and had developed a Telegram-based network of radicalized medical professionals and students under the banner of “Medical Ummah.” This group allegedly discussed ideological training, fund transfers, and recruitment tactics for JeM’s female cadre.

The network reportedly came under the radar after communications intercepted by Indian intelligence revealed her involvement in recruiting women for online indoctrination programs run by the group’s Pakistani leadership. These online sessions included encrypted instructions on assembling explosives and evading surveillance.

Investigators suspect Dr. Shaheen had close links with Kashmiri doctor Mujammil Ganai alias Musaib, another radical figure who allegedly coordinated material movement and sleeper cell logistics between the Kashmir Valley and northern India.

“Her communication records with Musaib and JeM handlers in Pakistan indicate that the Red Fort blast module was part of a larger operational blueprint targeting national monuments,” intelligence officials added.

Dr. Shaheen’s arrest has triggered a nationwide security alert, with anti-terror squads in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Lucknow instructed to trace any recruits or local modules connected to her network. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also been briefed and is expected to take over the case shortly.

Officials are now verifying whether the explosives stored in Faridabad were linked to other recent seizures in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi’s outskirts.

Also Read: Delhi Blast: How did car reach Red Fort? Shocking details reveled

Security experts have described this as a worrying escalation, indicating that JeM’s India network is trying to expand gender-based recruitment to avoid detection and enhance local infiltration.

“Using educated Indian women as operatives allows Pakistan-based terror networks to blend in more effectively and bypass traditional security filters,” said a retired intelligence officer familiar with the investigation.

As forensic teams analyze DNA samples and communication logs, authorities say Dr. Shaheen Shahid’s role may expose a wider JeM nexus within India’s urban centers, potentially marking one of the most significant counterterror breakthroughs in recent years.