The Quiet House in Khandari Bazaar
In the narrow, congested lanes of Khandari Bazaar, just a short distance from Lucknow's bustling Hazratganj market, stands a three-storey yellow building that has become the center of intense media and police attention. The wooden door with an iron grille remains firmly shut, with only two police personnel standing guard outside.
This unassuming address is the childhood home of Dr. Shaheen Shahid Ansari (44) and her younger brother Dr. Parvez Ansari (38), both medical professionals now embroiled in a major terrorism investigation. The siblings were detained in connection with an alleged transnational and interstate terror module recently busted by Jammu and Kashmir Police.
A Father's Dream Turns Sour
According to family members, their father Syed Ahmed (80), a retired government employee, had dedicated his life to ensuring his children became doctors. While the eldest sibling Mohammad Shoaib (48) showed no interest in medicine, the father focused his ambitions on Shaheen and Parvez.
"They were enrolled in coaching institutes to prepare for their medical entrance exams, and eventually, they cleared them," Shoaib told reporters from behind the closed grille of their family home. "We never imagined things could take such a turn."
The family reveals that Shaheen completed her intermediate studies at Lalbagh Girls' Inter College near their home, while Parvez attended Islamia Degree College. Both siblings went on to complete their MBBS and post-graduation degrees, fulfilling their father's dream.
International Stints and Broken Relationships
Both doctors had significant international experience during their careers. Shaheen traveled to Saudi Arabia around 2013-14, where she stayed for approximately two and a half years, likely for work opportunities. Parvez moved to the Maldives in 2016 for a job assignment. Both returned to India around the same time in 2017.
Their personal lives, however, showed signs of strain. Shaheen married Dr. Jafar Hayat, an eye surgeon, in 2003 and had two sons with him. The couple divorced mutually in 2013, with Dr. Hayat now posted at a government hospital in Kanpur.
Parvez married a woman from Bihar in what family members remember as a modest but happy ceremony. The couple has a daughter, but according to Shoaib, Parvez gradually drifted away from domestic life and no longer lives with his family.
Professional Trajectory and Growing Distance
Shaheen completed her MBBS and MD at Allahabad's SRN Medical College and joined GSVM Medical University in Kanpur in 2006 after clearing the UPPSC examination. She worked as an assistant professor in Pharmacology until 2013, when she left the institute without formal notice, leading to her termination after repeated notices went unanswered.
She subsequently joined Al Falah School of Medical Sciences & Research Centre in Faridabad, where she was employed at the time of her arrest.
Parvez completed his MBBS from Era Medical College in Lucknow and pursued his MD in Medicine from a college in Agra. He joined Integral University as a senior resident in 2021 but resigned on November 6, just before the terror module was busted.
The Investigation Unfolds
Security agencies are currently piecing together the siblings' lives, examining their educational background, international stays, and personal relationships. According to investigative sources, Shaheen is accused of providing financial support to the "white collar doctor" group allegedly linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad.
Authorities claim she allowed one of the accused, Dr. Muzammil Ahmad Ganai, to use her vehicle, which has been recovered from Faridabad. The terror module also includes Umar Nabi, who was driving the car that exploded at Red Fort, and Adeel Majeed Rather, employed at a private hospital in Saharanpur.
Investigators have seized electronic devices from Parvez's Lucknow residence and are analyzing his movements and contacts. The Anti-Terrorism Squad is leading the investigation into whom he was communicating with prior to his detention.
Family Estrangement and Neighborhood Reactions
Shoaib revealed that due to personal differences, he hasn't been in contact with his siblings since 2021. "They stopped coming to the house after that. I haven't spoken to Shaheen in a long time, I honestly didn't even know where she was living or working before the police arrested her," he stated.
The distance grew after their mother Yasmeen Parveen's death in December 2017 after a prolonged battle with diabetes. "Shaheen was close to our mother," Shoaib noted, explaining her gradual withdrawal from family affairs.
In the neighborhood, residents speak in hushed tones about the family. When asked for directions to the house, people avoid naming the siblings and simply gesture toward the building. A neighbor recalled, "We remember them as school-going kids... Over the past few years, both of them gradually cut themselves off from everyone."
At Parvez's residence in Madiyaon, approximately 15 kilometers away, neighbors described him as someone who barely stepped outside except for prayers. The house has remained locked since he was taken into custody.
Station House Officer Shiva Nand Mishra of Madiyaon police station confirmed that despite rumors, no residents have left the neighborhood due to police and media visits, and additional personnel have been deployed to maintain peace in the area.
