Some names exist in the shadows—mentioned only in whispers, speculative news reports, and official records. Zubeena Zareen, also known as Mehjabeen Shaikh, is one such name.
She is not a celebrity, not a politician, not a public figure in the traditional sense. Yet, her identity has fascinated millions because of one undeniable connection: she is widely described as the first wife of Dawood Ibrahim, India’s most wanted gangster and a UN-sanctioned individual.
In a world where Dawood Ibrahim’s criminal empire, the D-Company, has been dissected by law enforcement agencies worldwide, very little is definitively known about the woman who shares his name and his life. What we do know comes from official records, media reports, and statements made to investigating agencies.
This article pieces together the available information about Zubeena Zareen’s life, her family, her children, and the mysterious existence she leads as the wife of one of the world’s most wanted men.
Quick Info Table
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Mehjabeen Shaikh (also known as Zubeena Zareen) |
| Year of Birth | Widely reported as 1960 |
| Age (as of 2026) | 66 years (based on reported birth year) |
| Birthplace | Reportedly Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Famous As | Widely described as the first wife of gangster Dawood Ibrahim |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Husband | Dawood Ibrahim |
| Children | Reports vary: one son (Moin) and three daughters (Mahrukh, Mehreen, Maria – deceased) |
Who Is Zubeena Zareen?
Zubeena Zareen is widely described as the first wife of Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, the infamous Indian gangster and UN-sanctioned individual who masterminded the 1993 Mumbai bombings. She is also known by another name—Mehjabeen Shaikh—which appears in official documents and media reports.
The question “What is the real name of Zubeena Zareen?” is frequently asked, and the answer is that both names refer to the same person. Mehjabeen Shaikh is the name that appears in the United Nations Security Council’s consolidated sanctions record. Zubeena Zareen is the name by which she is widely known in popular media.
The United Nations Security Council’s consolidated sanctions record identifies Mehjabeen Shaikh as Dawood Ibrahim’s wife. Dawood Ibrahim was listed on 3 November 2003, with subsequent amendments to his listing. This is the strongest official source connecting Mehjabeen Shaikh to Dawood Ibrahim.
Zubeena Zareen Age: How Old Is She?
Zubeena Zareen is widely reported to have been born in 1960. Based on this reported birth year, her age as of 2026 would be 66 years. However, this date appears primarily on biography sites and has not been independently verified through official documentation. It should be treated as reported information rather than confirmed fact.
Zubeena Zareen Early Life and Family
Where Was Zubeena Zareen Born?
According to media reports, Zubeena Zareen was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, reportedly in the Bhendi Bazaar area.
Family Background
According to reports, her father’s name is Salim Kashmiri (also reported as Yusuf Kashmiri in some sources), who reportedly lives in Mumbai with his family. There is no confirmed information available about her mother, brothers, or sisters.
Education
According to a Zee News report, Zubeena Zareen attended a government-run institution for her studies. However, specific details about which school or college she attended, or what she studied, remain unavailable. Given the lack of documentation and her family’s modest background, it is believed that she received basic formal education in Mumbai.
Marriage to Dawood Ibrahim
The story of how Zubeena Zareen met Dawood Ibrahim is pieced together from media reports and is not independently verified.
According to these reports, their meeting took place in the 1990s through a mutual connection. As the story goes, one of Dawood’s friends invited him to dinner, where he was reportedly attracted to Mehjabeen. The attraction was mutual, and they began dating.
Zubeena’s father was initially opposed to the match, reportedly due to Dawood’s growing notoriety in Mumbai’s underworld. However, when her father learned about Dawood’s father’s background—Ibrahim Kaskar had been a head constable with the Mumbai Police—he reportedly agreed to the marriage.
The couple got married in the 1990s, and Zubeena Zareen became the first wife of one of India’s most wanted criminals.
Zubeena Zareen’s Children
Details about Dawood Ibrahim’s children vary across media and reference sources, so the information below should be treated as reported rather than independently verified.
Media and biography sources have reported children associated with Dawood Ibrahim and Mehjabeen Shaikh, although details about the family have not been consistently reported across sources.
According to some sources, Dawood Ibrahim has one son Moin Nawaz and three daughters: Mahrukh, Mehreen, and Maria (deceased). A 2011 India Today report stated they had three children—two daughters and a son.
| Child | Relationship | Reported Details |
|---|---|---|
| Mahrukh Ibrahim | Eldest Daughter | Reported to have married Junaid Miandad, son of former Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad, in 2006 |
| Mehreen Ibrahim | Second Daughter | Reported to have married Ayub, a Pakistani-American citizen, in 2011 |
| Moin Ibrahim | Only Son | Reported to have married Saniya Shaikh in September 2011 |
| Maria Ibrahim | Youngest Daughter | Reported to have died of malaria in Pakistan, according to India Today |
It is worth noting that in 2023, Alishah Ibrahim Parkar, the son of Dawood’s late sister Haseena Parkar, told the National Investigation Agency (NIA) that Dawood has not divorced his first wife Mehjabeen Shaikh. According to his statement, Mehjabeen maintains contact with Dawood’s relatives in India through WhatsApp calls.
The 2015 Phone Call Incident
One of the most significant pieces of public information about Zubeena Zareen comes from August 22, 2015, when Times Now, an Indian news channel, managed to reach her by phone in Karachi.
On August 22, 2015, Times Now reported that it had spoken by phone with a woman identifying herself as Mehjabeen Shaikh. She confirmed that she was speaking from Karachi and said Dawood Ibrahim was asleep.
When the channel tried to call back, they were met with a different response. A woman named Anam answered and denied that anyone by that name lived there.
Times Now was also in possession of a detailed phone bill in the name of Dawood’s wife Mehjabeen Shaikh, with an address in Clifton, Karachi.
The incident was widely covered by multiple news outlets including The Times of India, HuffPost, and Asia Times, and remains one of the few direct interactions between the media and Dawood Ibrahim’s wife.
Zubeena Zareen’s Reported 2016 Mumbai Visit
In September 2017, Dawood’s brother Iqbal Kaskar, who was arrested in an extortion case, told police that Zubeena Zareen had visited Mumbai the previous year to meet her father.
According to Kaskar’s statement to interrogators, Dawood’s wife Mehajabin Shaikh alias Zubeena Zarin came to Mumbai sometime in 2016 to meet her father Salim Kashmiri, who lives in the city with his family. After meeting her father and family members, she quietly left the country.
This was reported as one of the few known instances of her returning to Mumbai.
Where Is Zubeena Zareen Now?
Based on media reports and statements made to investigating agencies, Zubeena Zareen is believed to reside in Karachi, Pakistan.
The 2015 phone call placed her in Karachi. The 2023 statement by Dawood’s nephew to the NIA also placed her in Karachi, noting that Dawood had met her there.
There is no reliable public report confirming her death. Her current whereabouts, however, have not been independently verified.
Zubeena Zareen Net Worth
There is no verified information available about Zubeena Zareen’s personal net worth. Unlike her husband Dawood Ibrahim, whose estimated wealth has been the subject of speculation by various agencies and media outlets, Zubeena Zareen’s personal financial standing has never been publicly documented or estimated by credible sources.
Given her husband’s status as one of the world’s most wanted fugitives with significant alleged assets, she may have access to substantial resources. However, without verified financial records or official statements, any estimate of her personal net worth would be purely speculative.
Lesser Known Facts About Zubeena Zareen
- Very Few Photographs Exist: There are very few photographs of Zubeena Zareen in the public domain. Most images are grainy, old, and of poor quality.
- She Visited Mumbai in 2016: After years of living abroad, Zubeena reportedly visited Mumbai to meet her father, Salim Kashmiri.
- She Once Spoke to an Indian TV Channel: In August 2015, she confirmed her husband’s presence in Karachi during a phone call with Times Now.
- Her Name Appears in UN Documents: The United Nations Security Council’s consolidated sanctions record identifies Mehjabeen Shaikh as Dawood Ibrahim’s wife.
- Dawood Has Not Divorced Her: According to statements made to the NIA in 2023, Dawood Ibrahim has remarried but has not divorced his first wife.
- She Attended a Government-Run School: According to reports, she studied at a government-run institution.
- Her Father Was a Small Businessman: Her father, Salim Kashmiri (also reported as Yusuf Kashmiri), was a small businessman.
Social Media Presence
Zubeena Zareen does not have any known social media presence. There are no verified Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter accounts associated with her name. Given her husband’s status as a wanted fugitive, maintaining a digital footprint would be extremely risky. Any social media profiles claiming to be Zubeena Zareen should be treated with skepticism.
Controversies
The 2015 Phone Call Incident
In August 2015, Zubeena confirmed to an Indian news channel that Dawood Ibrahim was in Karachi. This incident was widely covered and raised questions about how the wife of a wanted fugitive could be reached so easily.
The 2016 Mumbai Visit
Reports that Zubeena had visited Mumbai in 2016 to meet her father raised questions about how she managed to enter India without detection, given that she is the wife of a designated terrorist.
The NIA Investigation (2023)
In January 2023, Dawood’s nephew Alishah Parkar told the NIA that Dawood had remarried a Pakistani woman but had not divorced Zubeena. This revelation added another layer to her already mysterious life.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Who is Zubeena Zareen?
Answer: Zubeena Zareen, also known as Mehjabeen Shaikh, is widely described as the first wife of Dawood Ibrahim, India’s most wanted gangster and a UN-sanctioned individual. She was reportedly born in 1960 in Mumbai and married Dawood Ibrahim in the 1990s.
2. What is the real name of Zubeena Zareen?
Answer: Zubeena Zareen’s real name is Mehjabeen Shaikh. She is referred to by both names in various media reports and official documents. The United Nations Security Council’s consolidated sanctions record lists her as Mehjabeen Shaikh.
3. Where was Zubeena Zareen born?
Answer: Zubeena Zareen was reportedly born in the Bhendi Bazaar area of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
4. What is Zubeena Zareen’s age?
Answer: Zubeena Zareen is widely reported to have been born in 1960. Based on this, she would be 66 years old as of 2026.
5. Is Zubeena Zareen alive?
Answer: There is no reliable public report confirming her death. Her current whereabouts, however, have not been independently verified.
6. How many children does Zubeena Zareen have?
Answer: Reports vary, but some sources suggest she has four children: Mahrukh, Mehreen, Moin, and Maria (deceased). Some earlier reports mentioned only three children.
7. Is Zubeena Zareen still married to Dawood Ibrahim?
Answer: According to statements made to the NIA in 2023, Dawood Ibrahim has not divorced Zubeena Zareen, despite reportedly taking a second wife.
8. Where does Zubeena Zareen live?
Answer: Zubeena Zareen is believed to live in Karachi, Pakistan, based on media reports and statements made to investigating agencies.
9. What is Zubeena Zareen’s net worth?
Answer: There is no verified information available about Zubeena Zareen’s personal net worth. Any estimates would be purely speculative.
Conclusion
Zubeena Zareen remains one of the most enigmatic figures connected to India’s underworld. She is a woman who exists in the shadows—known primarily because of her marriage to one of the world’s most wanted men. Yet, beyond that connection, very little is truly known about her.
She was reportedly born in Mumbai, married Dawood Ibrahim in the 1990s, and has been linked to several children. She has reportedly visited India only once since leaving, and her current whereabouts remain unverified.
What we do know comes from scattered sources: a UN Security Council sanctions record that lists her name, a phone call that confirmed her husband’s location, and a statement to investigators that she remains married to Dawood despite his reported second marriage.
In many ways, Zubeena Zareen’s life story reflects the larger mystery surrounding Dawood Ibrahim himself—a life lived in the shadows, away from public scrutiny, pieced together only through scattered media reports and unverified claims.
About the Author
This article was researched and written by a Husbandsbio senior journalist and SEO strategist with expertise in biographical content and investigative reporting. The information presented has been compiled from multiple sources, including The Times of India, Zee News, India Today, DNA India, and Wikipedia. Where information could not be independently verified, this has been clearly indicated in the text.
