New Delhi: Afeera Bibi, a woman commander of the terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), comes under the radar of security agencies for her alleged involvement in the now busted suspected Jaish terror module linked to Delhi Red Fort blast. Reports suggest she was in contact with Lucknow-based Dr Shaheen Shahid, already arrested in connection with the module, to establish a women’s wing of the terror group in India.
Sources indicate Afeera maintained direct communication with Masood Azhar’s sister Sadia. She is the wife of JeM handler Muhammad Umar, who was killed in a security operation following the Pulwama terror attack in 2019. Her last known location was traced to Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
Meanwhile, Dr Shaheen, one of the suspects in Delhi’s Red Fort that claimed 13 lives and injured several others, served as Head of the Department of Pharmacology at Kanpur Medical College from September 1, 2012, to December 31, 2013.
She had submitted her medical form upon joining the college in 2012 and continued as a lecturer until her transfer to Kannauj Medical College in 2013. Investigations have also linked multiple arms and explosives to Dr Shaheen.
Masood Azhar is wanted in India for masterminding multiple deadly terror attacks, including the 2001 Parliament assault, the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack, and the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing.
Security Agencies Track Vehicles Used By Terror Suspects in Delhi Blast
As probe in the JeM terror module-linked Delhi blast advances, agencies have also launched a search for two individuals, a man and a woman, who had parked one of the four cars, a Ford EcoSport, used by the suspects travel between cities and move the explosives.
Out of these two, the man identified as Faheem, linked to the Ford EcoSport has been tracked down. He was the one who parked the vehicle along with the woman.
In addition to this, the probing teams have launched a massive hunt to trace the fourth car – a Maruti Suzuki Brezza – used by the terror suspects.
Who is Faheem?
Faheem is the brother-in-law of JeM terror module prime suspect Umar Un Nabi. The latter was confirmed as the ‘bomber’ in the Delhi Red Fort blast after DNA samples matched with his mother, who resides in Jammu and Kashmir.
The four cars involved in the JeM terror module are:
- First car: Swift Dzire belonging to Dr Shaheen Shahid, used by Dr Muzammil, who is currently in custody. This car was the first to be seized, and weapons were recovered from it.
- Second car: Hyundai i20, used in the blast near Delhi’s Red Fort on November 10 that killed at least 13 people.
- Third car: Ford EcoSport, which has also been traced.
- Fourth car: Maruti Suzuki Brezza, now tracked to Al-Falah University in Faridabad.
UP ATS Detains Kanpur Cardiologist, Linked With Dr Shaheen, Red Fort Blast Case
In another development, the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad has detained a medical student from Kanpur as part of its investigation into the recent Delhi blast, officials said on Thursday.
Dr Mohammad Arif (32), a first-year Doctor of Medicine (Cardiology) student at the state-run Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial (GSVM) Medical College, was taken into custody from an undisclosed location, a senior official told PTI.
An Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) team searched his rented accommodation at Ashok Nagar in Nazirabad, seized his mobile phone and laptop for forensic examination, and took him to Delhi for questioning.
“He is likely to be confronted with those already arrested in the case,” the official added.
Earlier on Monday, a high-intensity blast ripped through a car near Red Fort in Delhi, killing 13 people and injuring several others, hours after the busting of a “white collar terror module” and the arrest of eight people, including three doctors. The arrested doctors were linked to the Al Falah University.
