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MBBS degree from China, partner in online food joint: Who is Hyderabad doctor at centre of ‘Ricin terror plot’?

Investigators are looking closely at the 2018 Ricin bomb plot in Cologne, Germany, where a radicalised couple had allegedly successfully isolated Ricin. They were held before any attempted attack.

Ricin ‘plot’: Chemicals, raw material found at doctor houseThe three arrested accused have been identified as Dr Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, 35, a resident of Hyderabad, Telangana; Azad Suleman Sheikh, (20), a tailor from Shamli, Uttar Pradesh; and Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem Khan, 23, a student and a resident of Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh.

Probing the alleged Ricin terror plot, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) conducted a search at the residence of the arrested Hyderabad doctor on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sources said Cyberabad police observed from a distance as the ATS team seized unidentified chemicals and raw material from Dr Ahmed Mohiuddin Saiyed’s flat.

A team from the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) searched the home — also a “workshop” — of 35-year-old Saiyed, the main accused in the alleged bio-terror plot using the lethal chemical agent. The seized material will be sent to a forensic lab. Sources told The Indian Express that the accused man, according to the interrogation, had not yet successfully isolated the toxin from Castor beans (Ricinus communis) before his arrest in Gujarat. Neither had he decided what delivery mechanism to use in the purported bio-terror attack that the ATS said it had foiled.

Investigators are looking closely at the 2018 Ricin bomb plot in Cologne, Germany, where a radicalised couple had allegedly successfully isolated Ricin. They were held before any attempted attack.

On Sunday, the Gujarat ATS claimed that Dr Saiyed was a member of a suspected terror module. His handler, Abu Khadija, the ATS said, is associated with the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP). Two other men from Uttar Pradesh were also arrested in connection with the case on November 8.

Sources said Saiyed (36), a general physician, is unmarried and lives alone in a flat. A general physician who pursued his MBBS degree in China, sources said he would offer free online consultations and was not part of any hospital or clinic. Sources also said he was a business partner at an online food outlet.

Police sources said Saiyed’s family members had confronted him several times about “parcels” he was receiving, which often included chemicals. He purportedly assured them that he was creating a chemical for commercial purposes which would “make them wealthy”, sources claimed.

The family hails from Telangana’s Khammam district. The doctor is the youngest of six children. Sources said the ATS will send teams to Uttar Pradesh, where the two other suspects hail from.

Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance. Expertise and Experience Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues: High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy. Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules. Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes. Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak. Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More

Brendan Dabhi works with The Indian Express, focusing his comprehensive reporting primarily on Gujarat. He covers the region's most critical social, legal, and administrative sectors, notably specializing at the intersection of health, social justice, and disasters. Expertise Health and Public Policy: He has deep expertise in healthcare issues, including rare diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the complex logistics of organ transplants, and public health challenges like drug-resistant TB and heat health surveillance. His on-ground reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic and Mucormycosis was critical in exposing healthcare challenges faced by marginalized communities in Gujarat. Social Justice and Legal Administration: He reports on the functioning of the legal and police system, including the impact of judicial philosophy, forensics and crucial administrative reforms (. He covers major surveillance and crackdown exercises by the Gujarat police and security on the international border. Disaster and Crisis Management: His work closely tracks how government and civic bodies respond to large-scale crises, providing essential coverage on the human and administrative fallout of disasters including cyclones, floods, conflict, major fires and reported extensively on the AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad. Civic Infrastructure and Governance: Provides timely reports on critical civic failures,  including large scale infrastructure projects by the railways and civic bodies, as well as  the enforcement of municipal regulations and their impact on residents and heritage. ... Read More

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