First image of Dr Shaheen Shahid, the woman doctor arrested in multi-state terror case

NEW DELHI: First image of Dr Shaheen Shahid emerges — the woman doctor arrested for her alleged role in a terror module spanning Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Monday. An AK‑47 rifle was recovered from her car.

She was taken into custody along with seven others, including Dr Muzammil Ganaie from Kashmir, who was arrested in Faridabad. Dr Shaheen was flown to Srinagar for custodial interrogation.


In all, eight people — including three doctors — were arrested and 2,900 kg of explosives seized after the uncovering of a “white collar” terror module linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind that spanned Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, officials said.

Dr Muzammil Ganaie was arrested on October 30 and produced before a Faridabad court before being taken to Jammu and Kashmir on a three-day transit remand. Faridabad Police Commissioner Satender Kumar Gupta detailed the investigation at a press briefing on Monday.

“In a joint operation by Faridabad Police and Jammu and Kashmir Police, approximately 2,900 kilograms of inflammable/explosive material was recovered,” the police said in a statement issued later in the evening.

Muzammil had been named a wanted man by J-K Police in a case involving the display of posters supporting Jaish-e-Mohammed in Srinagar. His role emerged as suspicious during the probe, and a Nowgam police team in Kashmir arrested him with assistance from the Faridabad Crime Branch, the statement added.

On Sunday, police recovered 358 kg of suspected ammonium nitrate from a room in Dhauj, along with an AK-style Krinkov assault rifle with three magazines, a pistol with two cartridges, 91 live rounds, and two magazines. Investigators said the room, located about 500 metres from Al Falah University, had been rented by the accused for Rs 1,200 a month about six weeks earlier.

Authorities also seized 20 timers, four batteries, 24 remote controls, electrical circuits, wires and a metal seat from the premises. On Monday, a further 2,550 kg of ammonium nitrate was recovered from another room at Fatehpur Taga village, about 4 km from Dhauj; the accused had reportedly rented both premises.

Police have taken into custody a cleric, Ishtaq, who had rented the rooms to Muzammil, for questioning. Ishtaq’s wife told reporters that her husband had been the imam of the local mosque for 20 years and that doctors, students and staff of Al Falah University regularly attended the mosque, including Muzammil.

Muzammil had worked at Al Falah University for the past three-and-a-half years and lived on campus, officials said.

When asked about the intended target of the alleged plot, Commissioner Gupta said investigations were ongoing and that, “in view of national security, it won’t be appropriate to share the details at this moment.”

Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, commenting on the action, said on Monday that the probe was ongoing and that “anyone found involved will not be spared.” Haryana minister Anil Vij reiterated that police were tracing the source of the explosive material, the planned target and all persons involved, and warned that “no guilty person will be spared.”