Dr. Shaheen Shahid recently arrested from Faridabad, turned out to be a key player in the “white-collar” terror plot that investigators believe is tied to a Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The news of her arrest shocked her colleagues and others in the medical community. She is accused of playing a significant part in building the women’s wing for the terrorist group in India.
As part of their investigative efforts, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Uttar Pradesh Anti-terrorism squad (ATS) opened an investigation into alleged recruitment and logistics work for a soon-to-be-operated, newly created female recruitment component called Jamaat-ul-Momineen, assigned to operate as part of JeM. Investigators state that Dr. Shaheen used her position as a doctor, as well as her networks in hospitals and medical/community programs, and her educational credentials, to work for the terror group without alerting others to her actions.
How the Trail Led to Dr. Shaheen.
The probe commenced in mid-October after signs of Jaish-e-Mohammed propaganda posters appeared in the Nowgam area of Srinagar. A sequence of arrests by the Kashmir police led the officials to Dr. Muzammil, who was arrested in Faridabad on November 8, and was found with explosives and an AK-47 rifle that officers later recovered.
During questioning, Dr. Muzammil claimed Dr. Shaheen was an associate of the two arrests and that she had assisted in coordinating contact with Jaish-e-Mohammed women. Subsequently, security forces detained Shaheen on November 11, three days later, discovering digital footprints connecting her to the terror network.
Officials also indicated that she was helping with communications and logistical arrangements for safe houses for JeM officers. In Dr. Shaheen’s car, particularly one that was said to be used by Muzamil when he was arrested, a rifle and live cartridges were discovered in the search.
Raids and Family Interrogation in Lucknow, After Dr. Shaheen’s Arrest Following her arrest, the UP ATS had worked with a joint team with Jammu and Kashmir police and Yuvaraj local officers units to search her residence at Lalbagh in Lucknow on Tuesday which belonged to her family home, where her brother Dr. Parvez Ansari, also a doctor lived.
During the raid, authorities confiscated cellphones, hard drives, and paperwork believed to have key evidence. Dr. Parvez was brought in for questioning, but officials did not confirm whether he was believed to be involved in any conduct.
To his daughter, Syed Ahmad Ansari, there was disbelief. “The last time I spoke with Shaheen was about a month ago. She never mentioned Dr. Muzammil or someone associated with that kind of work.”
Academic Career & Disappearance
Records show Dr. Shaheen Siddiqui (Shahid) joined GSVM Medical College in 2006 after passing the UPPSC (Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission) exam. She worked briefly at the Government Medical College in Kannauj between 2009 and 2010.
However, in 2013, she took an unauthorised leave of absence and did not return. After repeated notices went unanswered, she was terminated under the order of the state government in 2021. Colleagues described her as “quiet, disciplined, and reserved,” and never exhibited any behaviours that Marten would interpret to be radicalised ideology.
Investigators also retrieved all of her employment and contact information from GSVM and are working to trace not only where she had been since leaving, but if any of her actions were associated with individuals associated with JeM.
Life Following 2015 and Connections to the JeM Network
Dr. Shaheen was said to have married Zafar Hayat, a professional residing in Maharashtra, but divorced in 2015. After separating from her husband, she moved to Faridabad, where she was reportedly in contact with Dr. Muzammil and other members of JeM.
Sources say she slowly became an active facilitator in the logistics and recruitment operation of the JeM module, especially recruiting educated women. Her friends have described Dr. Shaheen as “brilliant but withdrawn,” and since she left her job, she has maintained little contact with her academic and professional circles.
NIA Assumes Control of Investigation
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has now officially taken over the case and is seeking to investigate Dr. Shaheen’s communication history, academic background, and her professional network in Lucknow, Kanpur, and Faridabad.
It is believed authorities suspect she was conducting recruitment as part of a broader effort by JeM to cultivate an educated and underground support network in India. As the investigation expands, officials are trying to connect the dots on how a former faculty member metamorphosed from being a promising medical researcher and scholar to one of the country’s most improbable terrorist suspects.
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