Terrorism infiltrates white-collar sector: 4 doctors arrested; 3,000kg explosives seized
What's the story
Authorities have arrested four doctors so far over the past week for their alleged involvement in terror activities. The arrests were made in two separate incidents and have exposed a disturbing trend of white-collar terrorism. The first set of arrests took place across Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Jammu & Kashmir. The other arrests in Gujarat resulted in the recovery of poison-formulating material and handguns. Altogether, over 3000kg of suspected explosives, rifles, and pistols have been seized from their residences.
Initial arrest
Dr. Adeel Ahmad Rather
The first of the four arrests was that of Dr. Adeel Ahmad Rather, a senior resident doctor at Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir. He worked at the hospital till October 2024. An AK-47 rifle was recovered from his suspected explosives. The police said he had links to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGUH).
Second arrest
Dr. Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed
The second arrest was of Dr. Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, a 35-year-old China-trained MBBS doctor from Hyderabad. He was arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad on November 7. Authorities said he had been preparing ricin and had also conducted reconnaissance of crowded food markets in Delhi's Azadpur Mandi, Ahmedabad's Naroda fruit market, and the RSS office in Lucknow over the past six months.
Third arrest
Dr. Muzamil Shakeel
The third arrest was of Dr. Muzamil Shakeel, a Kashmiri doctor and faculty member at Al Falah University in Haryana. He was arrested on November 9 by a joint team of Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana police. Authorities recovered 360kg of suspected ammonium nitrate stored in 12 suitcases in Faridabad from rented accommodation during a raid on Sunday. Hours after this seizure, another 2,563kg of suspected explosives were recovered from a different house in Faridabad, per NDTV.
Final arrest
Female doctor from same university as Shakeel
The fourth arrest was of an unidentified female doctor who worked with Shakeel at Al Falah University. She was arrested in the same operation that led to Shakeel's arrest. A Carom Cok assault rifle was recovered from her car during the operation. During questioning, Shakeel told police about the rented room and the Swift car belonging to the woman. Her role in the network is still under investigation, and her identity remains undisclosed.