NIA, J&K Police search Al-Falah Medical College for another doctor linked to Red Fort blast

The visit comes amid growing scrutiny of the institution after three doctors linked to the college were arrested for their alleged role in the Red Fort blast

Faridabad: The Jammu & Kashmir Police team and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) visited Al-Falah Medical College in Haryana’s Faridabad on Wednesday in search of another doctor in connection with Monday’s explosion in a white Hyundai i20 car in the heart of old Delhi, which killed at least 10 people and injured a dozen.

Police officers associated with the case said a team from the NIA visited the campus earlier in the day to collect evidence and question medical staff.

The visit comes amid growing scrutiny of the institution after three doctors linked to the college were arrested for their alleged role in the Red Fort blast and the recovery of 2,900 kilograms of ammonium nitrate from rented accommodations in Dhauj and Fatehpur Taga villages.

Police officers associated with the case said a team from the NIA visited the campus earlier in the day to collect evidence and question medical staff. “So far, over 70 resident doctors and students have been questioned, but nothing concrete has emerged,” an officer involved in the probe, requesting anonymity, said.

Meanwhile, Faridabad Police have refused to comment about the ongoing investigation and whether more suspects from the university are under the scanner.

Officers said the J&K Police team was seen on video calls with its Srinagar headquarters, coordinating in real time and sharing leads regarding other doctors who previously worked at the university. These leads, they said, are being followed up in Faridabad to verify the extent of the network’s presence in the college.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Al-Falah University distanced itself from the accused, saying it had “no connection with the said persons apart from their official duties.” The management described media reports linking the university to the case as “baseless and defamatory,” asserting that it was cooperating fully with investigating agencies.

Earlier, another doctor, Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather, was arrested from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, for allegedly putting up posters supporting the banned outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed in Srinagar. His interrogation led to Sunday’s coordinated raids in Faridabad.

Investigators said that Dr Mohammad Umar, also employed as a doctor at Al-Falah Medical College, was part of the same network and is believed to have planned and executed the Red Fort blast after his associates were detained earlier on Monday.

Umar used a Hyundai i20 parked inside the college for nearly three weeks to transport explosives to Delhi, an officer requesting anonymity said.

According to officers, the NIA and J&K Police are now focusing on verifying whether any university infrastructure, such as labs or hostels, was misused to store or test explosive compounds. Forensic reports from samples collected at the medical college lab are awaited and expected to shed light on the extent of the suspects’ activities within the campus.