Terrorist outfits prefer to recruit educated youth in the name of jihad (Holy War) as it is 'easy' for them to facilitate scientifically planned attacks, according to an expert.

Since a lot of preparation and 'actual scientific planning' goes into terror attacks, the groups prefer educated youth, Assistant Director of Forensic Science Laboratory Malini told PTI.

The groups brainwash the young, educated minds into thinking that by doing their kind of jihad, they will reach Jannat (heaven), Malini, who is an expert in criminal psychology, said.

"Terrorist groups find it easy to mislead the minds of educated youth in the name of Jihad, which actually means sacrifice life for God in a positive manner and not the way these groups interpret," she says.

Malini said there have been instances when MBAs and doctors were involved in terror attacks in India.

Persons who have been trained by ISI for explosives and weapons in Pakistan for a period of four years have revealed that terrorist groups have different types of training for educated and uneducated youth, she observes.

While educated youth are used for preparation of bombs, selection of targets and planting of bombs, it is the uneducated who are mostly used as suicide bombers.

"In the failed UK terror plot, Kafeel Ahmed was not meant to be a suicide bomber. He suffered burns because the mission failed," she says.

Malini adds that it is possible for such terrorists to become so secretive that 'they will not share any of their secrets with their family or close friends, even those with whom they have undergone training together.'

When such persons with a good value and education base change from what they were earlier, it takes time for the parents to come to terms with the fact their children could have changed for the worst, she says.

Meanwhile, Dr Gangadhar, Head of Psychiatry, NIMHANS, observes that in such cases 'it is not the education, the family background or the economic status that matters but complete indoctrination of an ideology.'

"They are indoctrinated to such an extent that they believe it is their ultimate goal. They are very clear about the objective and want to execute it, fully aware of the consequences," he says.

M J Thomas, a well-known psychiatrist at a private hospital, attributes the change in a person from good to bad to some kind of a stress or frustration in later part of life.

"Somewhere along the line under stress, what is right and what is wrong can change," he said.

A person can be indoctrinated directly or indirectly. Some degree of frustration topped with indoctrination can change one's value base completely, he claims.

"Value system can change according to the prevailing situation and then you are only thinking about the success of the mission where consequences, though known, do not matter," he says.