Full-time doctor with ties to terror outfit JeM

In March 2025, Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather moved to Saharanpur, UP, first joining V-Bros Hospital and later Famous Medicare, where police records show he earned about ₹5 lakh a month and treated up to 50 patients daily

MEERUT Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather, a 31-year-old postgraduate specialist in internal medicine from Qazigund in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir, has emerged as the central figure in the terror module linked to the November 10 Red Fort blast.

He lived in a rented two-bedroom house in Bapu Bihar Colony, keeping to himself except for the occasional late-night visitor, neighbours told police, according to investigators. (Sourced)

A former senior resident at Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag, Rather completed his MBBS and MD before joining the college’s internal medicine department, where colleagues described him as diligent but withdrawn.

In March 2025, he moved to Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, first joining V-Bros Hospital and later Famous Medicare, where police records show he earned about ₹5 lakh a month and treated up to 50 patients daily. He lived in a rented two-bedroom house in Bapu Bihar Colony, keeping to himself except for the occasional late-night visitor, neighbours told police, according to investigators.

Rather took sudden leave on September 26 and married a fellow doctor from Jammu on October 4 in a small ceremony, returning to Saharanpur shortly after. Three weeks later, on the night of October 27, pro-Jaish-e-Mohammad posters appeared on walls in Srinagar’s Rainawari and Zadibal areas, glorifying terrorists and calling for jihad. CCTV footage and mobile data later linked the act to Rather.

He was arrested on November 6 from Famous Medicare Hospital during duty hours by a joint team of J&K Police and UP’s Special Operations Group. During interrogation, he allegedly revealed a network spanning Delhi-NCR, Haryana, and J&K, identifying other operatives including Dr Shaheen Shahid, her brother Dr Parvez Ansari, and Dr Muzammil Shakeel Ganaie.

A day after his arrest, police recovered an AK-47 rifle and ammunition from his GMC locker, prompting charges under the Arms Act. His disclosures led police to a raid in Faridabad, on November 9 where security forces found a godown rented under his instructions by Muzammil. There investigators found 350-360 kg of ammonium nitrate, two AK-47s, 200 rounds, 20 electronic timers, detonators, and IED components — material capable of multiple large-scale blasts.

Police allege Rather used the site to store explosives and coordinate logistics, with Muzammil, admitting to handling the cache on his orders. Investigators believe he maintained ties with both JeM, the group behind the 2019 Pulwama attack, and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), a local offshoot advocating Sharia rule. Financial scrutiny revealed ₹15-20 lakh transferred from his Axis Bank account in Saharanpur to his brother’s account in Srinagar, raising suspicions of hawala-based terror funding.

Famous Medicare Hospital manager Manoj Mishra said the staff was stunned by the revelations. “He was soft-spoken, disciplined, and professional. We never had the slightest suspicion about his background. We hired him in March 2025 through another physician. After receiving information from the police, his services have been terminated immediately,” Mishra said. Another senior doctor, Dr Babar, has been suspended.