Investigators assert that Dr Shahid employed her medical credentials and professional contacts to establish trust with vulnerable individuals, particularly women facing isolation or hardship, and gradually exposed them to extremist ideology. Digital evidence—spanning voice notes, video clips and contact lists—has been recovered and appears to show a structured outreach strategy targeting women. Many of the women under scrutiny have reportedly switched off their phones or adopted untraceable modes of communication, compelling authorities to rely on bank‐transaction analysis, mobile‐tower data and social‐media footprints.
Dr Shahid, formerly a lecturer at Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial Medical College in Kanpur, was dismissed in 2021 after years of unexplained absences from her post, a sharp contrast to her earlier academic record. She was arrested in connection with a terror module uncovered in Faridabad linked to a car explosion near Delhi’s historic Red Fort corridor. Authorities believe she led JeM’s women‐recruitment wing, designated internally as “Jamaat-ul-Momineen”, within India.
The probe has expanded beyond Kanpur to several cities including Lucknow and Faridabad. Three doctors in Kanpur have been detained and questioned regarding their ties to Dr Shahid; investigators are also examining links between her and approximately 57 students from Kashmir studying at Harcourt Butler Technical University in Kanpur. Sources suggest that Dr Shahid utilised encrypted social-media channels and coordinated with handlers abroad, particularly in Pakistan, in order to mobilise and activate women for logistical support, recruitment or possibly operational roles.
Intelligence officials highlight a paradigm shift in extremist recruitment, pointing to a rise in “white-collar” actors and networks that blend professional credentials with ideological messaging. Dr Shahid’s medical background gave her access to social circles and credibility that masked her alleged operational role. Analysts say this underlines the growing sophistication of terror modules which exploit digital and social vulnerabilities.
The search for the 19 women is being coordinated across district and state lines, with teams verifying residence records, scanning for financial anomalies and analysing mobile‐tower dumps. Authorities also acknowledge a concern that the network may operate transnationally, and are collaborating with central agencies to assess whether any of the missing women crossed state borders or were directed to link up with international handlers. A senior investigator stated “Once we trace these women and map their contacts, Dr Shahid’s full support structure and recruitment pipeline will come to light.”
While the operation is still underway, security stakeholders say that the case underscores a broader danger: the capacity of extremist groups to target women based on emotional and psychological vulnerability, leveraging professional legitimacy and social networks to conceal radical intent. Experts stress that prevention efforts need to focus not only on traditional male‐centric terror profiles but also on female pathways into extremist ecosystems—especially those driven by non-violent grooming rather than overt militancy.
The mode of radicalisation portrayed in this investigation mirrors patterns observed internationally, where women are increasingly co‐opted into support roles, propaganda and recruitment rather than solely as frontline operatives. Analysts in India caution that the current case may prove to be a template for future network structures, combining digital outreach, ideological messaging and professional camouflage. Ongoing efforts by state and central agencies aim to disrupt the network, identify all persons involved and close the recruitment loop before it expands further.