Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Nov 29: The Special Court of the National Investigative Agency (NIA) on Saturday extended the custody of the four Delhi blast case accused, Dr Muzammil Shakeel, Dr Shaheen Saeed, Mufti Irfan Ahmad, and Adeel Ahmed, all of the “doctors’ module,” by 10 days.
The decision came after the four accused were presented at the special court of the NIA in Patiala, following the end of their earlier 10-day custody, which the investigative agency sought on November 20. The agency took all four into its custody from Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar.
The Jammu and Kashmir police had earlier detained these four accused allegedly for being connected with suspected terror activities. Among the four accused, Shakeel, Shaheen Saeed, and Adeel Ahmed Rather were associated with the Al-Falah University in Faridabad in Haryana, which is presently under the radar of the investigative agency for its terror links. Umar Un Nabi, the suicide bomber, was also in the same university.
The NIA had earlier taken Shaheen Seed to the University campus for on-site questioning as part of the ongoing investigation. She will also be taken to Lucknow and Kanpur for further questioning. Sources said the investigative agency would also take all seven accused to Lucknow, Kanpur, Saharanpur, Faridabad and Jammu & Kashmir, the places associated with the Delhi terror blast.
The NIA is examining the suspects’ previous contacts, support systems, and possible hideouts. The investigation is primarily concentrated on a network of doctors who are alleged to have assisted with the module, with authorities noting that this network appeared to operate under the guise of professional legitimacy.
The suspects are alleged to have been involved in the attack on November 10 near Delhi’s iconic Red Fort, when a slow-moving i20 car came to a brief halt at a traffic signal and subsequently exploded, resulting in the deaths of 14 people and leaving more than 30 others injured.
According to the investigators, the 46-year old Shaheen Saeed and Dr Muzammil Shakeel, the two doctors married in September 2023 and this union, according to sources, is what introduced Saeed to the world of terrorism and led her to take the path.
Raised in Lucknow’s densely populated Daliganj area, Shaheen Saeed was said to be a bright student. She pursued MBBS from Allahabad and then specialised in pharmacology. Saeed’s father, Syed Ahmad Ansari, is a government employee and the family is considered a modest, educated, and socially respected one.
Saeed married ophthalmologist Dr Zafar Hayat in 2003, and the couple had two children. But the relationship did not last long. “We were married in November 2003 and both pursued medical studies separately, with me being her senior,” Dr Hayat said. “Our divorce took place towards the end of 2012. I am not sure what was on her mind that led to it. There was never any dispute or quarrel between us. She was a loving and caring person. I never had any inkling that she could be involved in such activities. She was deeply attached to her family and children, loved them immensely and took care of their studies.”
Recalling their years together, Dr Hayat said Saeed never wore a burqa except during their wedding. Professional stress, career, and her desire to move abroad may have caused the divorce. “Once she suggested that we settle in Australia or Europe for a better salary and quality of life. But I told her we already live a good life here, have good jobs and kids. We have our relatives and everyone here, we would feel alone there,” Dr Hayat recalled.
The divorce was reportedly a significant blow to Saeed, who started to feel lonely. She abruptly withdrew from the Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial (GSVM) Medical College, where she used to teach, and stopped attending college without any notice. Saeed remained incommunicado for eight years, said sources, and in 2021, her job was terminated. She subsequently remarried a man, who ran a textile business in Ghaziabad. But this marriage also did not last long.
Muzammil Shakeel, a Kashmiri doctor, and Saeed’s junior at the Al-Falah University, later entered her life. Daily meetings, working together at the college, and having similar professions strengthened their bond. During an interrogation, Shakeel revealed that the two married in September 2023 in a mosque near the Al-Falah University.
The two started living as a couple and it is during this time, Saeed was introduced to student groups and began participating in religious activities. During these meetings, she was approached by members of Jamaat ul-Mominaat, the women’s wing of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), who, according to the investigative agencies began training Saeed in radicalism and terrorist ideology.
Using her medical identity, Saeed began traveling between Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi-NCR, and Haryana, helping transfer funds and deliver messages. Saeed was allegedly handed charge of the India branch of the Jamaat ul-Mominaat, which is headed by JeM founder Masood Azhar’s sister Sadia Azhar in Pakistan.
Saeed’s elder brother, Mohammad Shoaib, was not in contact with her for the last four years. “Even when she was studying medicine, there was never any sign of her being involved in anything suspicious. I still don’t believe these allegations. As I have said before, I simply cannot believe it,” he said. Dr Saeed’s father, Syed Ahmad Ansari, also echoed that disbelief. “I cannot believe that my daughter was involved in such activities,” he said.
