The powerful explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort that claimed 10 lives and injured 20 more has left the nation in shock. As investigators uncover the network behind the blast, one name has drawn widespread attention—Dr. Shaheen Shahid, a woman once known as a respected medical professional. Arrested in Faridabad just before the attack, Dr. Shaheen is linked to the Jamaat-ul-Mominat, the women’s wing of the banned terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
According to officials, Shaheen played a key role in establishing the women’s unit of JeM in India under the guidance of Masood Azhar’s sister, Sadia Azhar. The Pakistani terrorist’s relatives, including Sadia’s husband Yusuf Azhar, were among the masterminds of the 1999 Kandahar plane hijacking. Investigators suggest that Dr. Shaheen maintained regular communication with the network’s Pakistan-based leadership in the months leading up to the Delhi blast.
Originally from Lucknow, Dr. Shaheen had built an accomplished career before her life took a darker turn. She began as a pharmacology professor at GSVM Medical College in Kanpur, where she served for seven years after being selected through the UP Public Service Commission. However, reports indicate that she often clashed with colleagues and was transferred to Kannauj Medical College in 2009. By 2013, she had vanished abruptly, leaving the institution with no explanation. Letters sent to her Lucknow address went unanswered for years.
Her personal life also encountered turmoil. Shaheen was married to Dr. Zafar Hayat, a Mumbai-based physician, but the couple separated in 2015. According to police sources, her alleged relationship with Dr. Muzammil, a colleague at Al Falah University in Faridabad, contributed to the divorce. During her time in Faridabad, investigators believe Shaheen came under the influence of extremist ideology and began associating with operatives connected to JeM.
In 2020, Dr. Shaheen contacted GSVM Medical College via correspondence, expressing her intention to return to work, but she never appeared in person. Two years later, in 2021, the state government dismissed her from service due to prolonged absence and failure to respond to disciplinary inquiries. Once considered soft-spoken and academically driven, Shaheen’s secret life has now come under the scanner for links to one of the most dangerous terror outfits operating across South Asia.
Police continue to question Dr. Shaheen as part of a broader investigation into the Delhi blast and her possible involvement in the larger terror network.
