‘Dr Shaheen was coaxed to join JeM module by Muzammil’

Lucknow: Central agencies investigating the Delhi car blast case have found that Dr Shaheen Shahid, who was arrested from Faridabad after arms and ammunition were recovered from a car registered in her name, underwent a two-phase radicalization.According to investigators, Dr Shaheen was first self-radicalized through online content and then systematically brainwashed by Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie of Pulwama, a key JeM associate already in custody.Investigators said Shaheen, who had little contact with her family, steadily consumed extremist material online since 2023, developing what officials describe as "lone-wolf ideological leanings". This made her an ideal target for Muzammil during her stint at Al-Falah University.He assessed her vulnerabilities — isolation, ideological confusion, and strong ambition to work abroad — and marked her as a "potential high-value recruit".Officials said Muzammil first took Shaheen into confidence through long, ideologically loaded conversations, often framed as discussions on "injustice in conflict zones". He positioned himself as her intellectual mentor, gradually replacing her social circle and becoming her primary emotional anchor.She was then invited to late-night meetings with Muzammil and another suspect, Dr Umar Un Nabi of Koil, Pulwama."These meetings, initially projected as academic debates on geopolitics, were in reality soft indoctrination sessions where she was exposed to JeM worldview and operational language," an investigator said."Muzammil framed her involvement as part of a humanitarian duty toward victims of oppression, a tactic commonly used in modern radicalization pipelines," he added."Her transition into the module accelerated when Muzammil connected her to a Turkish-based handler, who began giving her direct assignments. Her ambition to travel abroad — for which Muzammil repeatedly promised help — was used to ensure obedience," he added.Shaheen started handling cash channels across NCR, conducting reconnaissance at hospitals, campuses, hostels, and crowded public areas, transporting messages and logistics under the guise of medical work.Diaries seized from Al-Falah campus contained handwritten decoding charts attributed to Shaheen, indicating deep operational involvement."The UP ATS will now interrogate her to track financial trail, identify recruits she may have influenced, and determine whether she was being prepared for larger assignments in Uttar Pradesh," an officer said.

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