New Delhi, November 13, 2025: Investigators have arrested Dr. Shaheen Saeed, a medical professional, in connection with the recent Red Fort blast that killed at least nine people and injured several others. Police allege that Dr. Saeed was linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and played a key role in a white-collar terror network operating across Delhi and Haryana.
According to a detailed report by the TOI, Dr. Shaheen Saeed completed her MBBS and MD studies in Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad) between the late 1990s and mid-2000s. The report states that she cleared the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission examination and subsequently joined the Pharmacology Department at Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial (GSVM) Medical College in Kanpur as an Assistant Professor. The same report states that she was briefly transferred to a medical college in Kannauj around 2009–10, before returning to Kanpur.
Her service records show she stopped reporting for duty around 2013 without formal notice. She was officially dismissed in 2021. After leaving GSVM, she joined Al Falah University in Faridabad, where she worked until her arrest.
Colleagues interviewed in NDTV’s coverage described her as reserved and said she often remarked that her “real work” began after 4 pm, a statement that investigators view as a potential behavioural clue, though it remains anecdotal.
Investigators believe Dr. Shaheen Saeed was part of a JeM-linked module and may have held a leadership role in the organisation’s women’s network in India. Her arrest followed the recovery of around 2,900 kilograms of explosive material from rented rooms in Faridabad tied to Dr. Muzammil Ganaie, a colleague at Al Falah University. A pistol, an assault rifle and ammunition were also seized from her Maruti Swift car registered in Faridabad.
Authorities have confirmed that the National Investigation Agency has formally taken over the case, which is now registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and other terror-related provisions.
The explosive haul of nearly 2,900 kilograms has also been verified by central agencies, leading to expanded raids and searches across multiple states.
Officials further suspect that Dr. Saeed was involved in efforts to build Jamaat-ul-Mominat, the women’s recruitment arm of Jaish-e-Mohammed in India.
According to an NDTV investigation citing intelligence sources, one of the detained doctors in the Red Fort blast case, Dr. Shaheen Saeed, had been in communication with Afirah Bibi, the wife of Umar Farooq, the Jaish-e-Mohammed commander killed in 2019 who is widely identified as the mastermind of the Pulwama suicide attack. The communication was reportedly conducted through encrypted channels and is now a major focus of the NIA’s digital forensics review. Investigators say the contact strengthens the suspicion of a cross-border link within the module, although the purpose and frequency of communication are still being verified.
In Lucknow’s Daliganj area, Dr Saeed’s family expressed disbelief after learning about her arrest. Her father, Syed Ahmad Ansari, said she had studied medicine in Allahabad before moving to Faridabad for work. He last spoke to her about a month ago and said he had no idea about her alleged involvement in any illegal activities.
"I cannot believe that my daughter was involved in such activities," he said, as quoted by news agency IANS. Ansari said that Dr. Shaheen Saeed pursued her medical degree in Allahabad and later began working in Faridabad.
He mentioned that his eldest son, Shoaib, stays with him in Lucknow, while his daughter, Shaheen, was taken into custody the previous day. His youngest son, Parvez Ansari, whose home was searched by officials earlier that morning, had left the city a long time ago. Ansari said he last spoke with Shaheen about a month ago and regularly keeps in touch with Parvez. He added that he was completely unaware of his daughter’s arrest until he was informed by authorities.
He further recalled that Dr. Saeed was once married to a man from Maharashtra but the marriage ended in divorce.
Her brother, Mohammad Shoaib, confirmed that the police and Anti-Terror Squad had visited their house but behaved respectfully. He said he had not been in contact with his sister for the last four years, as told to PTI.
The family described her as quiet, ambitious and deeply focused on her medical career. They said the accusations have left them stunned and heartbroken.
Dr Shaheen Saeed’s former husband, Dr Zafar Hayat, who lives in Kanpur, said he learned about her arrest from the news. The two married in November 2003 and divorced in 2012. He said that during their marriage she did not wear a burqa, except on their wedding day, and he never noticed anything unusual about her behaviour. After their separation, they had no contact, and he was unaware of her later activities.
The Delhi Police Crime Branch has visited GSVM Medical College to review her employment and academic records. Investigators are now piecing together her movements leading up to the Red Fort blast and her alleged association with the Faridabad explosives recovery. Authorities are also tracing financial transactions and communications that may link her to the terror module.
(Rh/ARC/MSM)
