When Dr. Rather Adeel Ahmed informed his colleagues on November 7 that he needed to urgently leave for his hometown to care for his sick mother, there was little reason for them to question anything. Dr Adeel, MD, resumed work at the famous Medicare Super Specialty Hospital in Saharanpur just a few days ago after a month-long break to attend his wedding in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
A few hours later, Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested Dr Adeel in Sarsawa, about 17.4 km from Saharanpur.
At the famous hospital, Dr. Adeel’s colleagues recall receiving an invitation to his wedding, for which he left on September 26.
One employee, who requested to remain anonymous, said: “We never suspected his involvement in any terrorist organisation. He appeared as a friendly doctor and always met everyone with compassion and love.”
Dr Adeel returned from his wedding holiday on 1 November. A week later, the hospital’s resident medical officer, Dr Danish, informed him that he was leaving for Kashmir again.
A hospital worker, who requested anonymity, said: “Mr Danish told us that we needed to look for another doctor because he felt that Dr Adeel would not return.”
“Our relationship was purely professional and I was not invited to his wedding,” said Manoj Mishra, the hospital’s chief operating officer. Mishra claimed that the operational rights of the hospital were with him since 2022. “I appointed him. He had previously worked at V-BROS Hospital as a consultant,” Mishra added.
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Located in the main market area of Saharanpur, the famous hospital is a ground-plus, double-storeyed glass-and-concrete structure surrounded by shops and establishments of all shapes – a liquor store, a dhaba, a tattoo parlor, and grocery stores. Shortly after it was built by a local businessman in 2022, it was leased to the current management. The hospital has four doctors: a urologist, a gynecologist, a surgeon, and an MD – a position held by Dr. Adeel.
Speaking about his appointment, an official said: “We offered him better pay and he joined us. He was a good doctor.”
Aslam Al-Zaidi, administrative officer at Al-Mashour Hospital, said that the authenticity of Dr. Adeel’s medical documents had been verified. “For us, he was a very good doctor and was appointed after due diligence,” Al-Zaidi said.
Vyom Bindal, Superintendent of Police, Saharanpur, told The Indian Express that a Jammu and Kashmir Police delegation came to Saharanpur district on November 7 to find Dr Adeel and seek cooperation from the local police.
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Dr Babar, a colleague of Dr Adeel and one of the people who attended his wedding, said he did not feel anything unusual on this occasion. “He was my colleague. So when he invited me, I went to Kashmir and attended his wedding,” Dr Babar told The Indian Express.
About 2.5 km from the hospital is Aman Vihar, where Dr Adeel stayed alone in a single-storey house. Most residents of the area claimed that he barely interacted with him. Nafees Ahmed, a resident, said: “Since he was not with his family, we never met or talked to him.”
At V-BROS Hospital, the administrative officer said: “He joined us on November 24, 2024 on a salary of Rs 3 lakh, but when he was offered better pay elsewhere, he left.”
SP, Saharanpur district, Ashish Tiwari, said tenant verification drives are being conducted in the city on a regular basis. When asked if there was a request to verify Dr Adeel, he said no. “We have cooperated with Jammu and Kashmir police in the investigation,” Tiwari said.
(Tags for translation) Delhi Blast
