'Lucknow doctor arrested for sexual exploitation was in touch with Delhi blast case accused medico Shaheen Sayeed'

Police trying to gather information about accused-doctor Ramiz Malik’s foreign tours in the past to ascertain if he received funding from there

Lucknow: Ramiz Malik, a resident doctor at the prestigious King George's Medical University in Lucknow, who was arrested a few days back on charges of alleged ‘sexual exploitation’ of a lady doctor, is said to have been in contact with last year’s Delhi blast accused Shaheen Sayeed and the banned Islamic outfit Popular Front of India (PFI).

According to sources, Malik, while being on the run, had also sought legal help from the PFI and considered fugitive Islamic preacher Zakir Naik as his ‘ideal’.

Sources said the Uttar Pradesh ATS has sought details about Malik from the police.

According to sources, Malik, during his interrogation, admitted that he had met Shaheen in seminars and conferences and later the two spoke regularly on phone. Shaheen was allegedly part of the ‘white collar’ terror cell. A large quantity of explosives and ammunition and an AK-4 rifle were allegedly recovered from her.

The police were also trying to gather information about Malik’s foreign tours in the past to ascertain if he also received funding from there.

Sources said Malik had earlier married a Hindu girl, who had converted to Islam, while he was studying medicine at the Agra Medical College.

It has also come to light that Malik and an acquaintance of his had organised sermons from Muslim clerics at a hostel inside the KG Medical University here allegedly with a view to encourage "conversions".

The investigating agencies are now trying to find out if the network of Malik and others was active in other parts of the State and if so then who others were involved in the ‘racket'.

Malik was accused of ‘sexually exploiting’ a Hindu lady doctor on the pretext of marrying her. The lady doctor allegedly attempted suicide after she came to know that Malik was already married.

The matter snowballed into a major controversy after saffron activists, led by the State women’s commission chairperson Aparna Bisht Yadav, stormed the KGMU office on Saturday, and accused the varsity Vice Chancellor of "suppressing" complaints of sexual harassment of women doctors.