‘Sleeper cell in white coats’: How a poster in Srinagar led to the busting of a terror plot

 

# ‘Sleeper Cell in White Coats’: How a Poster in Srinagar Led to the Busting of a Terror Plot

*Posted on November 10, 2025 |

In the shadow of Srinagar's bustling streets, a single poster—innocuous at first glance—unraveled a sinister web of radicalization hiding behind stethoscopes and surgical masks. What began as an act of propaganda by a rogue doctor has snowballed into the busting of a "sleeper cell" of medical professionals plotting large-scale terror attacks in India's heartland. Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP), in a joint operation with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh forces, seized enough explosives to rival a battlefield arsenal, averting what could have been a devastating strike on Delhi-NCR. This isn't just a win for counter-terror ops; it's a stark reminder that threats can lurk in the unlikeliest places. Let's trace the trail from poster paste to plot foiled.

## The Spark: A Propaganda Poster in Srinagar's Shadows

It all kicked off on October 27, 2025, in the Nogaum area of Srinagar. Locals spotted fresh posters plastered on walls, blaring warnings against cooperating with central agencies and glorifying the banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). These weren't random scribbles—they were slick, targeted propaganda aimed at sowing discord and recruitment in the Valley. JKP's vigilant teams swung into action, poring over CCTV footage that captured a shadowy figure affixing the posters under the cover of dusk.

The footage led straight to Dr. Adil Ahmed Rather, a 32-year-old senior resident doctor at Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag. Rather, hailing from South Kashmir, wasn't just any medic; he was a key propagandist with deep ties to terror networks. A search of his locker at the college yielded an AK-47 rifle—hidden amid textbooks and bandages—proving his double life went far beyond sticky notes.

## From Arrest to Avalanche: Unraveling the Network

By November 6, Rather was nabbed from a hospital on Ambala Road in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, where he was moonlighting. Under intense interrogation, the doctor cracked, spilling details of a radicalized cadre of fellow professionals. He confessed to recruiting for Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH), a shadowy group hell-bent on carving out an "Islamic state" in Kashmir through jihad against India. But Rather wasn't the mastermind—he was the bridge to a bigger fish: Dr. Muzammil Shakeel, another Kashmiri doctor operating out of Faridabad, Haryana.

Shakeel, who ran a medical facility and had ties to the dubious Al-Fala College (allegedly bankrolled by Gulf donors), was using his "white coat" cover to stash weapons and explosives. Intelligence tips pinpointed his rented room in Dhaouj village near Faridabad as a makeshift armory. On November 9, JKP's Special Investigation Agency (SIA), flanked by Haryana Police, stormed the site in a high-stakes raid.

The haul was chilling:

| Item Seized              | Quantity/Details                          |

|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------|

| Ammonium Nitrate        | 350-360 kg (enough for multiple IEDs)    |

| AK-47 Rifles            | 2 (plus one from Rather's locker)         |

| Pistol                  | 1 with live rounds                        |

| Cartridges/Ammo         | 84 + additional magazines                 |

| IED Chemicals           | Various substances for bomb-making        |

This cache, equivalent in destructive potential to hundreds of kilos of RDX, was primed for urban mayhem—think coordinated blasts in crowded Delhi markets or infrastructure hits. As one JKP officer put it anonymously: "These weren't amateurs; they were educated radicals blending into society, waiting to strike."

## The Players: Doctors Turned Dormant Threats

This "sleeper cell in white coats" traces its roots to 2021-2022, when a shadowy figure named Hashim kickstarted the group, only for Dr. Omar to reorganize it in the Valley. Rather and Shakeel emerged as the operational duo: Rather handled propaganda and recruitment, while Shakeel managed logistics, funneling arms and ideology from JeM and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) sympathizers. Their endgame? Forming a homegrown militant outfit to target Delhi-NCR, exploiting medical credentials for unhindered movement across states.

Both doctors now face charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Arms Act. Shakeel remains in custody, but investigators are hunting for accomplices in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and beyond. Early leads suggest Gulf funding and cross-border handlers, turning this into a multi-state manhunt.

## The Bigger Fight: Vigilance in the Valley and Beyond

This bust isn't isolated—it's part of JKP's relentless crackdown on overground workers (OGWs) and sleeper cells, with similar raids nabbing terror associates in South Kashmir earlier this year. Ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer turned terror staple (remember the 1993 Mumbai blasts?), underscores the dual-use dangers in India's supply chains. The operation highlights how tech like CCTV and human intel can turn a whisper of dissent into a thunderclap of justice.

Yet, questions linger: How did such a massive explosives stockpile slip through? Are more "white coats" embedded in sensitive sectors? As India grapples with hybrid threats, this saga screams for tighter scrutiny on radicalization in elite circles.

Kudos to the men in khaki for connecting the dots. But in a nation of 1.4 billion, one poster can save lives—stay alert, folks.

*What do you make of this? Could more such cells be out there? Sound off below.*

*Disclaimer: This is based on public reports and not official intel. For security tips, reach out to local authorities.*

The Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP), in a major counter-terror breakthrough, have busted a radicalised network of medical professionals allegedly plotting large-scale terror attacks across India. The operation led to the recovery of a massive cache of explosives and weapons from Faridabad, near Delhi, exposing what officials describe as a “sleeper cell” functioning under professional cover.

The investigation began in Srinagar’s Nogaum area after a poster warning locals against cooperating with central agencies surfaced, as per a CNN-News18 report.

CCTV footage traced the suspect to Saharanpur, where he was identified as Dr Adeel, a Kashmiri-origin doctor. His interrogation revealed a larger nexus of radicalised medics active across Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana.

According to officials, the group began forming in 2021-22 under a man named Hashim, later reorganised by Dr Omar in the Valley, it has been learnt from the report. Adeel acted as a recruiter and link to Dr Muzzamil, who operated a medical facility in Faridabad.

Acting on Adeel’s disclosures, JKP and Haryana Police carried out raids that resulted in the seizure of 350 kg of ammonium nitrate, chemicals used for IEDs, an AK-47 rifle with magazines, a pistol with live rounds, and other ammunition. Earlier, another AK-47 had been recovered from Dr Adeel’s locker at the Government Medical College in Anantnag.

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