Investigators from the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), along with central intelligence agencies and local police, have launched an extensive operation to trace 19 women from Kanpur and nearby districts who reportedly in contact with arrested Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operative Dr Shaheen Shahid, according to reports.
Officials suspect the women may have been influenced or radicalised through Dr Shaheen’s speeches, described by authorities as highly persuasive and inflammatory.
Sources told the Times of India that the ATS widened its search after recovering crucial digital evidence—voice notes, videos, contact lists, and follow-up chats—indicating that Dr Shaheen had built a structured outreach network targeting vulnerable women, especially those dealing with isolation, unemployment or emotional stress. Many of these women have switched off their phones, making the search more challenging.
Investigators are now depending on address verification, tower dump data, bank records and other digital footprints to locate them.
A senior officer told TOI:
“We will soon identify these women. Once they are questioned, the full extent of Dr Shaheen’s network will emerge.”
Parallel ED Action in Delhi Blast Probe
In a connected development, the November 10 Delhi car blast, which claimed 15 lives, has triggered a large, multi-agency investigation involving the Delhi Police Special Cell, NIA and Crime Branch. Faridabad Police have already screened more than 500 individuals from Jammu & Kashmir as part of intensified security checks.
ED Arrests Al-Falah Group Chairman in Money Laundering Case
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday arrested Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, chairman of the Al Falah group, under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The arrest followed searches earlier in the day at the university and associated premises.
According to ED, the investigation into Al-Falah University has expanded to include the Al-Falah Trust and its linked firms. The university came under scrutiny after several doctors linked to the institution arrested in connection with the Red Fort blast, including suicide bomber Dr Umar Un Nabi, a Kashmiri resident associated with the varsity.
Who Is Dr Shaheen? The Female Jihadi Linked to the Delhi 10/11 Terror Attack
Dr Shaheen Shahid, a former lecturer at a Lucknow medical college, has emerged as a key conspirator in the October 11 Delhi terror attack.
Investigators say she played a central role in Jaish-e-Mohammed’s women’s wing in India, where she allegedly helped build a covert female recruitment and operations network for the banned terror outfit.
Leveraging her medical background and professional credibility, Dr Shaheen believed to have coordinated logistics, facilitated communication with senior JeM handlers, and raised crucial funds to support the group’s activities.
WhatsApp messages recovered from her phone have provided agencies with crucial insight into the coded language and encrypted communication used within the group. Two unidentified women, saved in her contacts as Madam X and Madam Z, appeared to be frequent correspondents.