The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday conducted a raid at the Lucknow residence of Dr Shaheen Shahid, who is accused of masterminding the recent Delhi car blast.
The NIA team, accompanied by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), arrived in the city early in the morning. As the operation began, Lucknow Police deployed security personnel around Shaheen’s neighbourhood in Lalbagh’s Khandari Bazaar.
According to sources, NIA officials questioned Shaheen’s father, Saeed Ansari, and her elder brother, Shoaib, for several hours. Contrary to circulating rumours, the team did not bring Dr Shaheen with them.
After an extensive search and interrogation, the NIA team left the premises at around 11:42 AM.
This raid follows a joint operation on November 11, when the Jammu & Kashmir Police and the ATS searched properties linked to Dr Parvez Ansari and his sister, Dr Shaheen, in Lucknow, including locations at Lalbagh and Madiyaon on IIM Road. Several documents and other suspicious materials were reportedly examined.
Dr Shaheen Shahid was arrested on November 20 in Faridabad by Jammu & Kashmir Police. Authorities claim she was closely associated with Dr Muzammil Shakeel and that an AK-47 rifle, a pistol, and live cartridges were allegedly recovered from her vehicle at the time of arrest, escalating the seriousness of the case.
Meanwhile, in connection with the Delhi blast, ATS and state police teams across Uttar Pradesh are actively searching for suspected sleeper cells. In Amroha, the ATS is verifying the identities of individuals of Kashmiri and West Bengal origin living in educational institutions and industrial areas.
Officials describe the exercise as a security verification process, stating that no extensive interrogation has been conducted—only personal and family details have been collected.
Students from other states enrolled in medical, nursing, and other programmes, as well as factory workers in cities like Gajraula and Didouli, have been asked to provide identity and residence information.
In a separate operation, the ATS arrested a Bangladeshi woman from Thakurganj along with a local youth who allegedly helped her obtain fake identity documents. Investigators discovered forged Aadhaar and other documents, which she had been using to live in India for a considerable period.
ATS and intelligence agencies are currently questioning both individuals. Officials suggest that more action against illegally residing Bangladeshis may follow, though no formal statement has been released yet.
Meanwhile, Varanasi Police detained an Afghan citizen during routine vehicle checking on Saturday night in the Kachhawan Road area. The man, identified as Peer Badshah from Kabul, was travelling from Kolkata to Nagpur on a motorcycle with a Madhya Pradesh registration number. He failed to present a passport or visa.
Police recovered a UNHCR-issued refugee card valid until 2027, along with a mobile phone, a bag, and Rs 300. The Intelligence Bureau (IB) is currently verifying the authenticity of the refugee card. Authorities noted that the man’s mobile phone was not active except for incoming calls.
Investigations in all cases are ongoing as agencies continue to track potential links to the Delhi blast and related networks.