Blast accused doc Shaheen was liberal, says ex-husband

Wed, 12 November 2025

14:19

The destroyed i20 after the blast

Lucknow-based woman doctor Dr Shaheen Saeed, who was arrested in connection with a massive explosives haul in Faridabad hours before the bomb blast near Red Fort, held liberal views and wasn't particularly religious, her former husband Dr Hayat Zafar has said in an interview with NDTV.

Shaheen also wanted the family, which includes two children, to settle in Australia or Europe before the couple separated in 2012, he added.

According to investigators, Shaheen, who hails from Daliganj in Lucknow and was arrested on Monday, was leading the Jaish-e-Mohammed's women recruitment wing in India. She headed the Jamaat-ul-Mominat, the group's female wing.

"I have no links with her. I do not share any close ties with her. We parted ways in 2012. We have two children and they stay with me. We had an arranged marriage. I haven't been in touch with her since we separated," Dr Hayat said.

"She was never particularly religious, and she was a liberal. She intended for us to settle in Australia or Europe. After that, we separated," he added.

TOP STORIES

23 Killed in Goa nightclub fire after cylinder blast

A fire at a nightclub in North Goa, triggered by a cylinder blast, resulted in the deaths of at least 23 people, including kitchen staff and tourists. Authorities are investigating safety violations and promising action against the club...

LIVE! Goa tragedy: Fire erupted on dance floor, says eyewitness

Over 800 IndiGo flights cancelled on day 5 as chaos persists

DGCA provided temporary relief to IndiGo, which is partially owned by Rahul Bhatia, by rolling back the night duty definition to 12 am-5 am from 12 am-6 am earlier, and allowing its pilots to do six night-landings from two earlier,...

Govt's big order on refund, rescheduling fees; IndiGo reacts

The airline announced that it will fully refund all bookings cancelled between December 5 and December 15 and will offer a waiver on all cancellation and rescheduling requests.

'Hindu rate of growth' term maligned entire civilisation: PM

"The policy of Macaulay, which sowed the seeds of mental slavery in India, will complete 200 years in 2035. This means there are 10 years left. Therefore, in these very 10 years, we all must come together to free our country from the...