IM operative Shadab Beg under scanner after intel links him to Al Falah University

Lucknow: Indian Mujahideen operative Mirza Shadab Beg, wanted in several serial blasts across the country, has once again drawn the attention of central agencies after new intelligence linked him to Al Falah University in Faridabad.

Investigators from ATS, Uttar Pradesh Police, have confirmed that Beg, a native of Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, completed his BTech in Electronics and Instrumentation from the institution around 2007. Agencies suspect he came in contact with extremist networks during his student years and later used his technical training to support bomb-making and logistics for the Indian Mujahideen.

Security records show that Beg is 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 that handled reconnaissance, procurement of explosives and supply of critical components such as detonators and metal bearings used in the attacks. Property linked to him in Uttar Pradesh was seized after his name surfaced, and he has remained on central agencies’ most-wanted lists for years.

Family members in Azamgarh said Beg left home nearly 18 years ago and never returned. They only received occasional information about his movements after he went missing. Intelligence inputs indicate he went underground soon after the 2008 blasts and managed to evade multiple crackdowns on IM operatives. Agencies now estimate he has been absconding for close to two decades, making him one of the longest-surviving fugitives associated with the outfit.

Investigators are also examining how Beg travelled to Afghanistan, where he was last traced in 2019. Agencies are probing whether he used support channels in West Asia or South Asia to leave India and whether he maintained links with regional jihadist organisations. Officials say identifying the route, handlers and funding that facilitated his escape remains a crucial part of the investigation. The latest developments have intensified scrutiny of Al Falah University, which is already under investigation for financial and regulatory irregularities. Security agencies are reviewing old student records and associations to determine whether Beg attempted to recruit others on campus or whether any support cells remain active.

Officials say the case highlights how radicalisation and terror networks can intersect with mainstream educational institutions and stress that efforts are underway to trace Beg and dismantle any remaining networks linked to him.