Who is Dr Shaheen Shahid? JeM’s alleged recruiter caught in Faridabad explosives case
New Delhi: The arrest of Dr Shaheen Shahid, a Lucknow-based doctor, has exposed a chilling new dimension to the Faridabad explosives case, which saw the recovery of over 350 kg of explosive material near Delhi.
Investigators now say Shaheen was not just an accomplice — she was a key recruiter and handler for Jaish-e-Mohammed’s (JeM) women’s wing, trained and armed to lead a new generation of radicalised women.
According to Delhi Police sources, Shaheen headed recruitment operations for Jamaat-ul-Mominaat, the women’s unit of Jaish-e-Mohammed.
The outfit, launched in Pakistan in October 2025, is led by Sadia Azhar, the sister of JeM founder Masood Azhar, and aims to revive the terror group’s networks after its losses in Operation Sindoor.
Shaheen, a resident of Lal Bagh in Lucknow, was reportedly chosen by JeM handlers for her education, social reach, and influence among university circles.
Police believe she used her medical background and teaching links to radicalise and recruit educated women in Delhi-NCR and Uttar Pradesh.
Her link to the Faridabad explosives haul surfaced after the arrest of Dr Muzammil Ganaie alias Musaib, a Pulwama-based doctor and JeM operative.
Muzammil’s rented accommodations yielded nearly 2,900 kg of explosive material and timers, leading to Shaheen’s trail. When police searched her Maruti Suzuki Swift (HR-51), they found an AK-47 rifle, a pistol, and several rounds of ammunition — proof of her active operational role.
Investigators say Shaheen received basic arms training and was in direct contact with Pakistan-based JeM handlers via encrypted channels.
“She wasn’t a fringe sympathiser; she was part of the planning chain — trained to handle logistics, recruitment, and weaponry,” a Delhi Police officer told this newspaper.
The police believe Shaheen was building an Indian chapter of Jamaat-ul-Mominaat, targeting economically vulnerable yet educated women, particularly medical students and professionals.
The recruitment model, investigators say, was inspired by JeM’s Pakistan network, where wives of commanders and women from Bahawalpur, Karachi, Muzaffarabad, and Kotli were enlisted.
Sources claim Shaheen was preparing to host covert meetings in Delhi-NCR to connect radicalised recruits to JeM’s ideology and fund flow. Her car and digital devices are now under forensic examination for traces of communication with cross-border handlers.
Officials also confirmed that Shaheen had links with Sadia Azhar, wife of the late Yusuf Azhar, a key figure in the 1999 Kandahar hijacking. Yusuf was killed during Operation Sindoor earlier this year. After his death, JeM reportedly intensified its efforts to bring women into its operational chain — with Shaheen positioned as the key node in India.
Her arrest, police believe, may unravel a new wave of female radicalisation in India’s terror landscape — one where women are no longer confined to passive roles but actively trained, armed, and indoctrinated to execute and expand operations.