‘Their pattern fits that of lone-wolf terrorists’: How Dr Shaheen Shahid, her brother Parvez Sayeed drifted into self-radicalisation

LUCKNOW: Two sibling doctors from Lucknow — Shaheen Shahid and her brother Parvez Sayeed — allegedly turned to jihad after consuming extremist content online and are now in custody for suspected links to Pakistan outfit Jaish-eMohammed and their alleged role in the Delhi blast.UP police ATS officers described the duo as self-radicalised “lone wolves” who evolved into part of what’s being called a “white-collar” terrorist network of doctors.Over the past two years, the siblings allegedly prepared to carry out terrorist attacks across multiple cities without belonging to a structured command chain, officers said Wednesday.Shaheen, 43, was arrested after police seized arms and ammunition from a car registered in her name in Faridabad.

Her interrogation led to searches at Parvez’s home in Lucknow, where his laptop, tablet and mobile phones were seized. Sources said Parvez is also in custody.Forensic experts are analysing fragments of deleted data retrieved from the seized devices to map possible contacts and communication trails. “They used encrypted apps and self-destructing messages to coordinate with other suspects, including Dr Muzammil and Dr Adeel,” said an officer.

“Every chat and call log was deleted immediately after each exchange.”According to officers, the siblings’ online radicalisation deepened through foreign based messaging platforms advocating jihadist ideology. Investigators believe the pair communicated regularly with suspects recently arrested in the broader “white-collar” network. Doctors Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie and Adeel Majeed Rather — both J&K natives — were arrested in Faridabad and UP’s Saharanpur, respectively.

“They were ideologically aligned, motivated to launch solo attacks on public places or sensitive installations,” said a senior officer involved in the questioning. “Their pattern fits that of lone-wolf terrorists who act independently but are driven by global jiha-dist propaganda.”An ATS officer said most lone-wolf radicals “are not directly recruited. They consume extremist videos, manifestos, or encrypted chat content and adopt the ideology voluntarily.

Communication happens through encrypted apps, and deletion of records is a consistent tactic”. The officer added that such actors often plan, fund, and execute attacks using locally sourced materials. Family members of the Lucknow siblings had reported behavioural changes and social withdrawal — traits common among selfradicalised extremists.