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Arrested doctor Shakil's mother, brother deny terror allegations against him: ‘We are Indians by heart’
Police identified and arrested Muzammil Shakil, an MBBS, as the occupant of the Dhauj accommodation in Faridabad where 360 kg of explosive material were found.
The mother of the Kashmiri doctor arrested for allegedly running a terror module in Faridabad has said she was not aware of any of his activities. She called for his release, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, after the Faridabad module's alleged link to the Red Fort blast in Delhi also emerged.
Dr Muzammil Shakil was arrested on Monday morning after 360 kg of explosive material and ammunition were recovered from his rented house in Faridabad’s Dhauj village. Naseema, his mother, has now claimed that Muzammil left home long ago.
Speaking to ANI, she said, “He left home about four years ago. He was working as a doctor in Delhi. We had no information about him during this time. When he was arrested, we learned about it from others. We tried to meet him, but the police did not allow us. Even my other son has been arrested.”
She added, “They are saying my son is a suspect in the Delhi blast. I do not know anything about this. I just want both of my sons to be released.”
Dr Muzammil Shakil's brother speaks out
Meanwhile, his brother told news agency PTI that although Shakil is facing allegations of terrorism, their family has nothing to do with it.
“He last visited us in June during our father’s surgery. Everyone is alleging that he is a terrorist, but we have nothing to do with it. There hasn’t been a single case against our family in 50 years,” he said.
He added, "We are Indians by heart — we’ve even faced stone-pelting for India. He was a good person. They are not allowing us to meet him. My sister’s marriage, which he was to attend, has now been cancelled.”
Police on Monday said the explosives were recovered from the residence of Dr Muzammil Shakil, who had rented the house in Dhauj about three months ago. While initial reports had said RDX was recovered during the operation carried out on Sunday, police later clarified it was ammonium nitrate.
Who is Dr Muzammil Shakil?
Police identified and arrested Shakil, an MBBS degree holder, as the occupant of the Dhauj accommodation where the explosives and weapons were found.
Addressing a press conference, Faridabad Police Commissioner Satender Kumar Gupta said Shakil, whose name appeared with varying spellings across reports, was teaching at Al Falah University in Dhauj.
According to Varun Dahiya, assistant commissioner of police (crime), Faridabad, Shakil had rented the Fatehpur Taga house about eight months ago.
Meanwhile, around 2,563 kilograms of ammonium nitrate were recovered from a house in Fatehpur Taga village in Faridabad following the recovery in Dhauj village.
Delhi Red Fort blast
Hours after the recovery in Faridabad, a blast rocked Delhi as a car exploded near the historic Red Fort, killing eight people and injuring 20 others. The car has been traced to a Kashmir-based doctor with suspected terror links.
Two officers from Delhi Police’s Special Cell said the probe has revealed that Dr Umar Un Nabi, a resident of Pulwama, was likely behind the wheel of the ill-fated Hyundai i20 when it exploded.
As reported by Hindustan Times earlier, preliminary investigations suggest Umar was connected to a terror module linked to the massive seizures in Faridabad. Police said Umar worked in the same module as his doctor friends, Muzammil Shakil and Adil Ahmed.
Shakil was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police on October 30, a few days after Dr Adil Ahmad Rather was taken into custody.
