IM operative Shadab Beg back under scanner after new links to Faridabad University emerge

LUCKNOW: Indian Mujahideen operative Mirza Shadab Beg of Azamgarh, wanted in connection with several serial blasts across the country, is once again under the scrutiny of probe agencies following new intelligence inputs linking him to Al Falah University in Faridabad. According to UP ATS sources, Beg completed his BTech in Electronics and Instrumentation from Al Falah University around 2007. Investigators suspect he came in contact with extremist networks during his student years and later used his technical training to support bomb-making activities and arrange logistics for the Indian Mujahideen. Records show that Beg was a key accused in the 2007 Gorakhpur blast and the serial bombings in Jaipur and Ahmedabad in 2008. Officials say he was part of core IM modules responsible for reconnaissance, procurement of explosives and the supply of critical components such as detonators and metal bearings used in the attacks. Property linked to Beg has been seized in Uttar Pradesh after his name surfaced in connection with Al Falah University. He has remained on central agencies most-wanted lists for years. Back home, his family claims that Beg, who left 18 years ago, never returned, and they only received occasional information about his movements after he went missing. Intelligence inputs suggest he went underground soon after the 2008 blasts to evade crackdowns on IM operatives. Agencies now believe he has been absconding for nearly two decades, making him one of the longest-surviving fugitives associated with the outfit. Sources also claim that Beg visited Afghanistan in 2019. Investigators are probing the support channels that helped him leave India and exploring his suspected links with regional extremist groups. The recent Delhi terror blast has intensified scrutiny of Al Falah University, with security agencies reviewing old student records and networks to determine whether Beg attempted to recruit others on campus. Sources said efforts are under way to trace Beg and dismantle any remaining networks linked to him.