After Red Fort Blast, UP ATS Expands Crackdown in Prayagraj — A City Long Shadowed by Old Terror Footprints
BK Singh
In the wake of the November 10 Red Fort car explosion, the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has intensified its intelligence sweep across Prayagraj and seven adjoining districts, a region that has previously figured in multiple terror-linked histories.
The renewed scrutiny follows concerns that sleeper cells or support networks may have remained unnoticed for years and could now be reactivating.
According to ATS directives issued on November 15, Minority Welfare Officers in Prayagraj, Pratapgarh, Kaushambi, Fatehpur, Banda, Hamirpur, Chitrakoot, and Mahoba have been instructed to compile comprehensive data from all madrasas.
The information sought includes names, addresses, parentage details, phone numbers, and profiles of students, teachers (maulvis), and management staff.
In Prayagraj alone, authorities have reported 206 active madrasas, of which 43 receive government funding, while 169 operate privately. The district’s Minority Welfare Officer, Krishna Murari, confirmed that the required dossiers have already been forwarded to the ATS.
Historic Context: Why Prayagraj Is Under a Sharper Lens
The heightened vigilance stems not only from the present threat, but also from Prayagraj’s earlier brushes with terror networks:
- Over a decade ago, a group of four to five terrorists had reportedly taken shelter at the house of one Waliullah in Phulpur township.
- While Prayagraj did not witness a terror blast at that time, the group allegedly hid arms in Waliullah’s home.
- The same group is believed to have travelled from Prayagraj to Ayodhya for reconnaissance, later returning to retrieve their weapons.
- Although Prayagraj itself remained untouched by bombings, Waliullah was later arrested from Lucknow for his alleged involvement in the 2006 Varanasi serial blasts.
- More recently, in 2022, a man named Jeeshan from the Kareli area was arrested for allegedly operating as part of a terror module.
Given this backdrop, the townships flagged by the ATS are widely regarded as sensitive, having historically reported suspicious movement and sheltering activity linked to extremist networks.
Medical Institutions Under Watch
The ATS’s present investigation has widened further after the arrest of Dr Shaheen (Shaheen Shahid), an accused in the Red Fort blast case, who completed her MBBS and MD (Pharmacology) at Motilal Nehru Medical College in Prayagraj.
Intelligence teams have already visited the college to examine academic and personal records.
Additionally, two Kashmiri-origin doctors — one a medical student, the other an assistant professor — have been detained for alleged links to a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) module connected to the Delhi blast.
Both pursued their medical degrees at Al-Falah University in Faridabad, an institution now under the scanner for regulatory and accreditation discrepancies.
Security Tightened Across Prayagraj
On the ground, Prayagraj police have stepped up vigilance. Security personnel are conducting:
- Rigorous frisking
- Random vehicle checks
- Identity verification drives
- Surprise inspections at warehouses storing ammonium nitrate and other sensitive materials
A Call for a Thorough “X-Ray” of the Region
Given Prayagraj’s prior associations with terror networks, senior officers and security analysts insist that the ATS must now conduct a comprehensive “X-ray” of the region — identifying individuals who may have suddenly left the city or surrounding towns after the Delhi blast.
Such an exercise would require:
- Active coordination with the local CID
- Close monitoring of travel records
- Participation from alert and vigilant citizens
Public sentiment suggests that the recent exposure of the doctors’ module is just the beginning.
Many believe that the ATS, if it continues on its current trajectory, may uncover several more anti-national operatives embedded within educational, religious, or professional ecosystems.
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