Her connections to the Al-Falah University and the massive Faridabad explosives haul point to a sophisticated and dangerous terror network. (Image: File)
As probes into the Delhi Red Fort blast and the large explosives recovery in Faridabad advance, investigators have uncovered a new and worrying figure — a female doctor from Lucknow accused of leading a women’s recruitment network for terrorism in India. The arrest of Dr. Shaheen Shahid points to a major shift by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) to bring more women into its fold.
Dr. Shaheen Shahid, a resident of Lucknow's Lal Bagh area, was arrested in Faridabad, Haryana. Intelligence officials identify her as a key operative for Jaish-e-Mohammed in India. Her primary responsibility, according to sources, was to establish and lead the terrorist organization's women's wing for Indian operations. This wing, known as Jamaat-ul-Mominat, is headed in Pakistan by Sadia Azhar, the sister of JeM founder Masood Azhar. Dr. Shahid's alleged mission was to recruit female terrorists for this wing, marking a significant evolution in the group's operational tactics on Indian soil.
The formation of Jamaat-ul-Mominat marks Jaish-e-Mohammed’s push to regain strength after setbacks in Indian counter-terror missions like Operation Sindoor. Intelligence inputs indicate the group is recruiting women — especially commanders’ wives and poor students — from its centers in Pakistan. The new female wing is designed to build a quieter, less detectable layer of its network. This layer can potentially evade traditional surveillance, transport funds, and radicalize other women, making it a dangerous and strategic expansion of the terror threat.
The web of connections points to a coordinated network. Dr. Shaheen Shahid is said to have ties to Al-Falah University in Faridabad, the same university where another arrested doctor, Muzammil Ganaie (also known as Musaib), worked. Muzammil was arrested after a staggering 2,900 kg of explosives and flammable materials were recovered from his rented accommodations in Faridabad. He was already a wanted person in Jammu and Kashmir for displaying pro-Jaish posters. This connection indicates that Shahid’s recruitment network and Ganaie’s logistical operations were parts of a single coordinated terror module capable of large-scale attacks.
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