4 doctors arrested in 4 days with chemicals, rifles: Face of white-collar terror

In a shocking sequence of arrests over the past week, authorities have detained four doctors linked to terror activities, exposing a growing white-collar terror ecosystem operating from within professional circles.

Investigations revealed that these radicalised doctors were in contact with foreign handlers operating from Pakistan and other countries and even banned outfits like ISIS, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGUH).

These four arrests within four days point to a disturbing trend -- highly educated professionals leveraging their positions to further terror agendas. Officials have warned that these professionals had contact with international handlers and were actively preparing both chemical and firearms-based attacks in different parts of the country.

DR ADEEL RATHER ARRESTED FROM UP

The first arrest came last week when an AK-47 rifle was recovered from the personal locker of a senior resident doctor at Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir. Adeel Ahmad Rather, 27, a resident of Qazigund, Anantnag, had been working at GMC Anantnag until October 24, 2024.

Police said Rather had links to JeM and AGUH. The discovery followed the appearance of JeM-supporting posters in Srinagar on October 27. CCTV footage traced the activity to Rather. He was subsequently tracked to Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and taken into custody November 6. An FIR has been registered under the Arms Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

DR AHMED SAIYED ARRESTED FROM GUJARAT

Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, 35, from Hyderabad, was arrested by Gujarat ATS on November 7 in a case that sent shockwaves across security agencies. Saiyed, a China-trained MBBS doctor, had been preparing ricin, a lethal protein derived from castor seeds, and had conducted months-long reconnaissance of crowded public spaces, including Delhi’s Azadpur Mandi, Ahmedabad’s Naroda fruit market, and the RSS office in Lucknow.

Saiyed was apprehended with two Glock pistols, a Beretta, 30 live cartridges, and four litres of castor oil near Adalaj, Ahmedabad. Officials said he was in contact with Abu Khadim of the ISIS-Khorasan Province. He faces charges under UAPA, the Arms Act, and Indian Penal Code provisions.

DR MUZMIL SHAKEEL ARRESTED FROM HARYANA

The third arrest involved Dr Muzamil Shakeel, a Kashmiri doctor and faculty at Al Falah University, who was nabbed on November 9 by a joint team of Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana police.

Authorities recovered 360 kilograms of suspected ammonium nitrate, a chemical often used in improvised explosives, stored in 12 suitcases in Faridabad.

Faridabad Police Commissioner Satender Kumar Gupta said Shakeel had links to banned terror groups and had previously posted JeM-supporting posters in Srinagar. His arrest was facilitated by leads provided by Rather.

UNIDENTIFIED DOCTOR ARRESTED

In the same operation in Faridabad, a woman doctor, colleague of Shakeel at Al Falah University, was also arrested on November 7. Police recovered a Carom Cok assault rifle from her car. Authorities are investigating her role in the network. Her identity has not been disclosed.

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(With inputs from Brijesh Mishra and Ashraf Wani.)