Investigative agencies have identified Imam Irfan Ahmad as the key conspirator behind the Faridabad terror module that was recently dismantled by security forces.

A resident of Shopian in Jammu and Kashmir, Ahmad is believed to have masterminded a sophisticated recruitment and radicalisation network that preyed on young medical students.

Ahmad, who once worked as a paramedical staff member at the Government Medical College in Srinagar, exploited his access to the medical community to identify and indoctrinate potential recruits. 

He maintained regular contact with medical and paramedical students who frequented a mosque in Nowgam, using religious discourse as a medium to slowly push them toward extremist ideologies.

According to sources, his radicalisation process was gradual and methodical. Ahmad spent months nurturing trust among the students in Faridabad before introducing them to violent jihadist thought. He drew inspiration from Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), frequently sharing its propaganda videos to reinforce extremist narratives.

The investigation has revealed that Ahmad’s communications extended beyond national borders. He maintained contact with associates in Afghanistan through VoIP platforms, using encrypted data calls to evade security detection. His objective, sources explained, was to create a self-sustaining network of ideologically hardened individuals capable of spreading radical beliefs within academic circles.

Two doctors identified as Muzammil Shakeel and Mohammad Umar were reportedly among Ahmad’s most committed followers. They acted as key facilitators in expanding his influence inside educational institutions and beyond. The module’s overall operational blueprint is believed to have been designed under Ahmad’s direction, with strict compartmentalisation to limit exposure.

Officials state that the recent blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, which claimed nine lives, was executed by Mohammad Umar in a panic-driven act following the exposure of the Faridabad module. Umar, who remained in direct contact with Ahmad, allegedly carried out the attack to divert attention from the group’s larger network.

Investigators have also uncovered the role of Dr Shaheen Sayeed, a Lucknow-based academic linked to Al-Falah University, who acted as the financier and ideological supporter of the network. Intelligence reports suggest that she serves as the India commander of Jamaat-ul-Mominaat, the women’s wing of Jaish-e-Mohammed. Sayeed’s role was instrumental in channelling funds and providing logistical cover for the module’s operations.

Security analysts describe the Faridabad module as a disturbing example of extremist infiltration within India’s educational spaces. By using religious trust and academic association as recruitment tools, Ahmad managed to turn students of medicine—individuals trained to save lives—into instruments of violence.

Counter-terrorism units continue to investigate the full extent of the network’s outreach, suspecting that parallel sleeper cells may still exist across northern India. The Faridabad case underscores the growing challenge of online and interpersonal radicalisation, which remains one of the most complex threats facing national security today.

Based On NDTV Report