Lucknow terror plot: NIA alleges 2 doctors used family trip as cover

New Delhi: In a shocking incident, two doctors allegedly used the cover of a family trip to conduct reconnaissance for planned terror attacks targeting key government buildings and crowded public areas in Lucknow, according to a chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).  

The agency alleged that the accused were part of a larger terror conspiracy linked to the same module implicated in the Delhi Red Fort blast case.

Also Read:Kashmir: Chargesheet filed against several doctors for White Collar Terror

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that the Kashmir State Investigation Agency (SIA) filed a chargesheet against 10 accused persons in the 'white collar' terror module case involving several doctors from Jammu and Kashmir.

According to investigators, the two accused travelled from Faridabad to Lucknow between August 25 and August 30, 2025, in a swift car belonging to one of the doctors under the guise of a routine family visit. While the trip outwardly appeared to be personal in nature, investigators alleged it was in fact a carefully orchestrated reconnaissance operation connected to a larger terror conspiracy.

During their stay in Lucknow, the duo reportedly divided their time between a relative’s residence and one of the doctor’s ancestral homes located in Khandari Bazar in the Lal Bagh area. The NIA believes the ancestral property functioned as an operational base while the accused conducted surveys and logistical planning across the city.

According to the probe, officials allegedly found evidence that the suspects intended to use vehicles packed with explosives near government buildings and public spaces, reports UNI.

The investigation further alleged that one of the accused doctors searched online for chemical shops in Lucknow that stocked ingredients used in making TATP, a highly volatile explosive often referred to internationally as the “Mother of Satan." The NIA claims another doctor wrote down the names of these chemical suppliers by hand, while a local contact was allegedly asked to physically verify whether large quantities of such chemicals could be procured, reports News 18.

The chargesheet also outlines alleged reconnaissance activities around some of Lucknow’s most sensitive administrative and political centres located along Vidhan Sabha Road. These reportedly included the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, Lok Bhawan — which houses the Chief Minister’s Secretariat — and Bapu Bhawan, the state Civil Secretariat.

According to investigators, on-foot surveys were allegedly carried out in these areas to study security arrangements, crowd movement, access routes, and possible vulnerabilities. Apart from government complexes, the accused allegedly visited crowded public locations such as Bara Imambara, Lal Bagh, and Aminabad, locations the agency believes may also have been assessed as potential targets.

The NIA stated that mobile phone location data placed one of the accused near the Vidhan Sabha–Lok Bhawan–Bapu Bhawan complex on August 28, 2025. Investigators say the digital trail strengthens their reconstruction of the alleged conspiracy and corroborates other evidence gathered during the probe.

The NIA alleges that the terror module, believed to be linked to the AGuH network, intended to establish a covert explosives manufacturing facility in Lucknow and execute multiple coordinated blasts using methods similar to those allegedly employed in the Delhi Red Fort blast case. However, investigators say the plans were thwarted after the terror module was busted in October 2025.

According to the agency, the alleged terror module — linked to “Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind,” which investigators say is associated with Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), intended to establish a covert operational base in Lucknow for carrying out multiple attacks. Investigators described the network as a “white-collar” terror module. Authorities said the alleged conspiracy to carry out serial blasts across Lucknow was foiled before the plans could be executed, according to UNI.

Also Read:Red Fort Blast Probe: NIA revisits GMC Anantnag