New Delhi: In a startling development with far-reaching national security implications, investigative agencies have arrested a woman doctor from Uttar Pradesh for her alleged connections with the Pakistan-based terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Authorities claim the accused, identified as Dr. Shaheen Shahid, had been tasked by JeM handlers to set up a women’s wing of the group within India, marking a disturbing expansion of the terror outfit’s operational strategy.
Dr. Shaheen Shahid, a medical professional hailing from Lucknow’s Lal Bagh area, has an academic background that once earned her respect in the medical field. She reportedly served as an assistant professor at Kanpur’s Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Medical College and later worked with other private institutions. However, investigators say that around 2013, she mysteriously vanished from her academic post without any official resignation or explanation only to resurface years later, allegedly involved in extremist activities.
Authorities believe Dr. Shahid was recruited by JeM’s Pakistan-based leadership during this period. Her high educational standing and professional credibility are said to have provided the perfect disguise for covert operations and networking among educated youth, particularly women.
According to intelligence reports, Dr. Shahid was entrusted with building the Indian chapter of JeM’s female cadre, Jamaat-ul-Mominaat, a wing led in Pakistan by Sadia Azhar, sister of JeM founder Masood Azhar. The group’s objective, investigators say, was to create a social and religious front through which women could be indoctrinated and gradually drawn into logistical, propaganda, and recruitment operations.
Officials suspect that Dr. Shahid was in contact with Pakistan-based operatives through encrypted communication channels. She allegedly used her medical and academic credentials to hold discreet meetings, recruit sympathizers, and facilitate funds for operational logistics under the guise of women’s welfare and educational initiatives.
Dr. Shahid’s arrest follows a series of raids in Faridabad and Delhi, where investigators recovered nearly 3,000 kilograms of explosives from premises linked to another doctor, Muzammil Ganaie (alias Musaib), a resident of Kashmir. The seizure came days after the deadly car blast outside Delhi’s Red Fort, which killed ten people and injured twenty others.
Officials allege that Dr. Shahid and Ganaie were part of the same module that had been planning multiple coordinated strikes across North India. Her vehicle, reportedly used to transport weapons and ammunition, was seized by police, along with an AK-47 rifle and several rounds of live cartridges. Sources said the two doctors used their professional background to mask suspicious activities and avoid detection by intelligence networks.
The case has sent shockwaves through security circles for its revelation of “white-collar terrorism” educated professionals using their expertise and credibility to advance extremist causes. According to a senior Delhi Police officer, JeM’s strategy appears to have shifted toward recruiting individuals who can move freely within academic, social, and professional environments without raising suspicion.
“This represents a new and dangerous evolution in terrorist methodology,” the officer said. “By using doctors, professors, and social workers, these groups gain access to legitimate networks that help them evade scrutiny while building ideological influence.”
The probe has since expanded across Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, and the National Capital Region, with multiple agencies including the NIA, Delhi Police Special Cell, and state Anti-Terror Squads working together to trace Dr. Shahid’s associates and funding sources. Her brother’s home in Lucknow and several of her previous workplaces have been searched. Investigators are also examining her travel history and possible visits to border regions over the past decade.
Preliminary findings suggest that the module may have received foreign funding routed through informal channels, including hawala networks and digital wallets. Authorities are now tracking digital footprints to identify individuals who may have been radicalized or recruited under Dr. Shahid’s influence.
Experts believe the emergence of a female-led terror network signals a significant tactical shift in Pakistan-based terror groups’ approach to operations in India. By involving women, they aim to bypass traditional security filters and exploit gender-based leniency during surveillance and inspection.
The revelation also raises questions about radicalization in academic and professional spaces. Dr. Shahid’s transformation from a respected medical lecturer to an alleged terrorist operative exposes vulnerabilities in India’s educational institutions and the need for deeper monitoring of ideological infiltration.
As the investigation deepens, officials are focusing on uncovering the full scale of JeM’s female network in India. Agencies are also verifying whether Dr. Shahid had links to the Pulwama terror module or other Pakistan-sponsored sleeper cells operating under civilian cover.
Home Ministry sources confirmed that the case is being monitored at the highest levels, given the possibility that the group may have been planning further attacks. The arrest, they say, could prove to be a turning point in dismantling JeM’s covert recruitment structure inside India.
With more arrests likely in the coming days, the case of Dr. Shaheen Shahid stands as a chilling reminder of how extremist ideology can infiltrate even the most respected professions turning healers into agents of terror.