Broken marriages, emotional vulnerability and a dangerous drift into terror — the unsettling story of Dr. Shaheen Saeed
Bengaluru : The Delhi Red Fort blast investigation has unearthed a disturbing and unexpected angle — a 46-year-old doctor who, after two failed marriages and prolonged emotional turmoil, allegedly found “love and belonging’’ within a radical terror network.
Dr. Shaheen Saeed, now a prime accused in the 10/11 blast near Red Fort that killed at least 15 people, is accused of using her medical cover to assist Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)-linked operatives and ultimately embracing a path of extremism.
A brilliant student, a respected family — and a life that slowly derailed
Shaheen Saeed grew up in Lucknow’s busy Daliganj area. A bright student, she completed her MBBS from Allahabad and later specialised in pharmacology. Her father, Syed Ahmad Ansari, was a government employee, and the family was known to be socially respected and academically inclined.
In 2003, she married ophthalmologist Dr. Zafar Hayat. The couple had two children and lived what appeared to be a stable life. But nine years later, the marriage collapsed.
Speaking to NDTV, Dr. Hayat said, “She was loving and caring. There was never any fight between us. I cannot imagine her in such activities.” He added that Saeed generally avoided wearing the burqa and was deeply attached to her children.
He attributed their divorce to professional pressure, career ambitions, and Saeed’s dream of moving abroad — a dream he did not share.
Loneliness, withdrawal and another failed marriage
Following the divorce, Saeed reportedly slipped into emotional distress. She abruptly left her teaching position at GSVM Medical College, Kanpur, without formal notice and disconnected from colleagues for nearly eight years. In 2021, she lost her job.
Later, she remarried a textile businessman in Ghaziabad, but this relationship, too, ended quickly, only deepening her isolation.
The entry of Dr. Muzammil Shakeel — and the beginning of radicalisation
It was in Haryana’s Al-Falah University that Saeed met Kashmir-born doctor Muzammil Shakeel, her junior. Daily interactions, shared academic environments and similar professional backgrounds brought them close. The two married in September 2023 in a mosque near the university, with a modest mahr of ₹6,000.
Investigators say this marriage marked a turning point. Living together, the couple reportedly grew close to student religious groups. During this phase, members of Jamaat-ul-Mominat — the women’s wing of JeM — allegedly identified Saeed as a recruitable candidate and began indoctrinating her.
Using her mobility and medical credentials, Saeed allegedly travelled frequently across Delhi-NCR, Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir, facilitating cash transfers, logistical support and communication between JeM-linked operatives.
Investigators claim Saeed was eventually entrusted with overseeing Jamaat-ul-Mominat’s India unit, reportedly run globally by Saadia Azhar, sister of JeM founder Masood Azhar.
The blast and arrests
On 10/11, a slow-moving Hyundai i20 — driven by suicide bomber Umar Mohammed alias Umar-un-Nabi, also linked to Al-Falah University — exploded near Red Fort, killing 15 people and injuring many more.
Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of Saeed, her husband Muzammil Shakeel, and another associate Adeel Ahmed Rather. Police say all three played supporting roles in the planning and coordination of the attack.
A tragic transformation
The case has shocked both medical and security circles — how an educated doctor from a respected background, twice divorced and emotionally vulnerable, allegedly drifted into one of South Asia’s most feared terror networks.
The investigation continues, with agencies probing the wider influence of Jamaat-ul-Mominat’s outreach into universities and medical circles.
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