Quiet Hyderabad neighbourhood rattled by ricin terror plot revelation

No one could have imagined that behind an ordinary house in a quiet Hyderabad neighbourhood, a massive terror conspiracy was taking shape. The arrest of Dr Ahmad Mohiuddin Syed by the Gujarat ATS, accused of manufacturing the deadly toxin ricin at his residence in Asad Manzil, Rajendranagar, with plans to target people across the country, has left the city stunned.

Fatal plot uncovered

Neighbours had assumed he lived alone and quietly, but no one suspected he was secretly preparing a lethal poison.

Asad Manzil, located in Street No. 9 of Fort View Colony, Rajendranagar, has become a major talking point in the city. However, neighbours and residents of Fort View Colony refuse to speak about it. With the Gujarat ATS arresting the accused doctor, the Rajendranagar police have also placed the house under surveillance.

Also read | Hyderabad doctor’s ricin terror plot: Probe reveals laboratory at home

Though a doctor by profession, he lived alone in Asad Manzil and frequently ordered chemicals online, according to ATS investigations. His family members had often argued with him, noticing his unusual experiments in his room. The doctor reportedly told them he was trying to produce a valuable chemical, ATS officials said.

House under scrutiny

After the ATS found that Dr Syed lived in Fort View Colony, Rajendranagar police stepped up surveillance. They are now probing his activities, contacts, social media connections, digital communication history, and any possible terror links in the city. With the Hyderabad doctor identified as an accused in a terror plot, central and Telangana intelligence units have also become alert.

Investigations revealed that he had turned his room in Asad Manzil into a laboratory, producing ricin, an extremely toxic substance, on a large scale. The ATS found that he planned to mix the poison into public water supplies, temple prasadam, and other sources in Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Lucknow to cause mass casualties. Doctors note that ricin has no known antidote, and anyone consuming it is likely to die.

Oil press purchase

Just days before his arrest, he purchased an oil press machine to manufacture ricin, according to ATS findings. His brother, Syed Umar Farooqi, said the doctor brought home the machine, claiming it was for making oil. The family insists they had no idea he was producing ricin.

According to his family, the doctor left home on November 5, claiming he was supplying oil to a customer in Gujarat. They said he produced the oil in front of them, and they suspected nothing. On November 9, Gujarat ATS arrested him in Gandhinagar with raw materials used to produce ricin.

From his house in Rajendranagar, ATS seized castor seeds, castor cakes, chemicals, a computer, documents related to oil extraction, and the oil press machine. The Gujarat ATS released photos of the seized items. Officials said he had converted his home into a lab to produce ricin in large quantities for terror activities.

Seen as a key conspirator

Dr Syed lived alone in Asad Manzil and behaved unusually, according to ATS officials. He frequently ordered chemicals online and conducted secret experiments. Family members questioned his behaviour many times, but he insisted he was working on a valuable chemical for commercial purposes, officials said.

His brother Farooqi said that after delivering the oil to a man in Gujarat, the doctor was asked to collect money from a parcel. “Believing the parcel contained cash, he placed it in his car without opening it. Moments later, ATS stopped the vehicle. The parcel was found to contain hazardous chemical materials, shocking the doctor.” Farooqi insists his brother had no idea the substance was ricin and claims he is innocent.

Left medical practice

Dr Syed studied MBBS in China between 2007 and 2013, then returned to Hyderabad but chose business over medical practice, his brother said. If his brother had links with the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), he should be punished, Farooqi added, but maintained that he was innocent and framed. The ATS claims the doctor admitted to being in contact with ISKP operative Abu Qadija in Afghanistan and several handlers in Pakistan.

Also read | Gujarat ATS arrests doctor, two others in ‘ricin’ terror plot

Following the arrest, Goshamahal MLA Raja Singh questioned Chief Minister Revanth Reddy about public safety. Raja Singh asked the CM to clarify which temple’s water tank the doctor planned to poison and whom he intended to target. “Every time a blast occurs, the accused seems to have links to Hyderabad. Unfortunately, another terrorist has been caught here,” he said, criticising the CM and DGP for remaining silent.

Khammam in shock

Khammam police revealed that Dr Syed had briefly run a clinic in the Khilla (Fort) area earlier. Since news of his arrest broke on TV, his family in Khammam has not appeared in public. His relatives and neighbours have refused to speak to the media. The arrest has left Khammam residents in shock.

This conspiracy, exposed through his arrest, highlights a grave threat to national security. Investigators are now trying to determine the scale of his network and identify others involved. The fact that a doctor, expected to save lives, was producing a deadly toxin has deeply alarmed the nation.

ATS officials said the investigation will continue until every link in the network is uncovered. Whatever the eventual outcome, this case has left an indelible scar on Hyderabad.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Telangana)