‘Never suspected him’: Saharanpur hospital stunned as doctor arrested over terror links

Famous Medicare Super Speciality Hospital.

A few hours after Dr Rather Adeel Ahmad left the Famous Medicare Super Speciality Hospital on November 7, he was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police in Sarsawa, near Saharanpur, in connection with an alleged terror module. The reason he gave for leaving, to look after his ailing mother, was a pretext, The Indian Express reported.

An MD in Medicine, Dr Adeel, who worked as a doctor with a high salary, was part of a larger, inter-state terror network that police have described as a "sleeper cell" of radicalized professionals, some linked to terror outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

As per the report, Dr Adeel had resumed work at the hospital only a few days back after a month-long break for his wedding in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Dr Adeel’s colleagues recall being invited to his wedding for which he had left on September 26.

The arrests have caused shock and disbelief among his former colleagues, who described him as a friendly and compassionate doctor with no sign of extremist involvement.

“We never suspected him of any involvement in any terror organisation. He came across as a friendly doctor and always met everyone with compassion and love,” a staff member, requesting anonymity, told the newspaper.

An AK-47 rifle was recovered from his personal locker at the Government Medical College (GMC), Anantnag, where he had worked previously until October 24, 2024.

His interrogation, and that of another arrested doctor, Dr. Muzammil Ahmad Ganai, led to the recovery of a massive haul of over 2,900 kg of explosives (including ammonium nitrate), rifles, pistols, timers, and other materials from various locations in Faridabad, Haryana, and other areas.
Police believe he was involved in recruiting highly educated individuals for the terror outfit.

“Danish sir told us that we need to look for another doctor as he had a feeling Dr Adeel was not going to come back,” a hospital staff said.

Manoj Mishra, the head of the operations of the hospital, was quoted as saying, “Our relationship was purely professional and I was not invited to his wedding.” Mishra claimed that the operational rights of the hospital have been with him since 2022.

“I had hired him. He earlier worked at V-BROS hospital as a consultant,” he added.

Located in the bustling main market of Saharanpur, Famous Hospital is a three-storey glass-and-concrete building surrounded by a mix of shops and establishments — from a liquor store and a dhaba to a tattoo parlour and grocery outlets. Built by a local businessman in 2022, the structure was soon leased to its current management.

As per the report, the hospital boasts of four doctors: A urologist, a gynaecologist, a surgeon and an MD Medicine – the position occupied by Dr Adeel.

Talking about his hiring, an official told IE: “We offered him a better pay and he joined us. He was a good doctor.”

Aslam Zaidi, the administrative in charge of Famous Hospital, told the newspaper that Dr Adeel’s medical documents were verified. “For us, he was a very good doctor and was hired after due diligence,” said Zaidi.

Superintendent of Police (SP), Saharanpur City, Vyom Bindal  was quoted as saying that a delegation of J&K Police had come to Saharanpur on November 7 to find Dr Adeel and had sought the local police’s cooperation.

Dr Babar, Dr Adeel’s colleague and one of the people who attended his wedding, said he did not sense anything unusual on the occasion. “He was my colleague. So, when he invited me, I went to Kashmir and attended his wedding,” Dr Babar told The Indian Express.

Around 2.5 km from the hospital lies Aman Vihar, where Dr Adeel lived alone in a single-storey house. Neighbours said he mostly kept to himself and rarely interacted with anyone in the area. Nafees Ahmad, a resident, said, “Since he was not staying with his family, we never met or spoke to him.”

At V-BROS Hospital, the administrative in charge said, “He had joined us on November 24, 2024, at a salary of Rs 3 lakh but when he was offered a better pay somewhere else, he left.”

Saharanpur Superintendent of Police Ashish Tiwari told the newspaper that tenant verification drives are routinely carried out in the city. When asked whether any request for Dr. Adeel’s verification had been received, he said no.

“We have been cooperating with the J&K police in the investigation,” Tiwari said.