Delhi Red Fort blast: The explosion near Red Fort metro station in Delhi on Monday and the findings about the ‘white collar‘ terror module has shifted the focus to Al-Falah University in the national capital, and specially, to Room 13 in Building 17. It is this very university which was found to be a common link between those arrested – Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaia, Dr Umar Un Nabi, Dr Dr Shaheen Shahid and Maulvi Ishtiyaq, and for a period of two years.
The recovery of 350 kgs of explosives from Faridabad, along with other ammunition led the police to Dr Muzammil, employed at the medical college. The operatives allegedly used Room 13 in Building 17 of the university to coordinate and discuss their sinister plans. The blast killed 13 people, and has led to a country-wide search operation.
However, the university has denied any link to the suspects or the case. In a statement on Wednesday, the university said, “We are deeply saddened and anguished by the unfortunate developments that took place and condemn the same. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the innocent people affected by these distressing events. We have also learnt that two of our doctors have been detained by the Investigating Agencies. We wish to make it clear that the University has no connection with the said persons apart from them being working in their official capacities with the University.”
Spread across 72 acres, the Al-Falah Medical College in Faridabad was established in 2014 to a self-described mission to provide affordable medical education to students from underprivileged backgrounds and minorities. It was established by the Haryana Legislative Assembly under the Haryana Private Universities Act.
The university had begun as an engineering college in 1997. It received the university status in and the Al-Falah Medical College is affiliated with this university.
But the blast near Red Fort metro station has changed everything.
Mystery of Room 13
Dr Muzammil Ganai worked as a junior resident doctor in the emergency wing of the institute. Students told Indian Express that he never taught then as he was junior doctor, adding that not many knew about him.
“He was a JR doctor in the emergency wing, so never came to teach us. We learnt about him after hearing the news of his arrest,” a third-year MBBS student told IE. He added, “Even his alleged associates (Dr Shaheen Ansari and Dr Umar Nabi) were not known to many in the college.”
But they were all in the college, hardly seen together. Reports says Umar was collection, and others were helping collect explosives for two years.
A student told Hindustan Times the room was mostly closed, adding that they saw unknown people entering. “The door of Room 13 was always closed. We often saw unknown people entering late at night or early in the morning…Unlike other students who kept their rooms open, this one always had visitors, but no one ever spoke much,” a student living two doors away told HT.
ACP (Crime) Varun Dahiya said the suspects are understood to have used the medical campus as a base for meetings, data storage and much more.
“Building 17 was their command post…Room 13 became their planning base — they used it for meetings, coordination and possibly to store digital data and blueprints for their operation,” he was quoted as saying by HT. The ACP said they are not ruling out connections within the campus as well.
The room has been locked and the forensics have taken samples of whatever they found there.
Lab sealed, chemicals seized
The adjacent lab has also been sealed with the chemical compounds seized by the agencies to ascertain if the suspects used the small quantities from the lab for their plans for compounds like ammonium compounds and oxidisers.
It is believed that these were later taken to the rented room in Dhauj and Fatehpur Taga, where police later found nearly 2,900 kilograms of explosive and inflammable substances.
“The college lab has been sealed and scanned. Forensic teams have lifted samples of chemicals, glassware and beakers for testing,” an official said, quoted HT.
As of now, the Building 17 has been sealed, with all rooms being checked for traces.
A resident doctor told HT, “Building 17 was the busiest hostel, but no one suspected that one of its rooms was being used for something like this. “Muzammil was polite and quiet. He studied a lot, but there was always a sense that something was different about him. He had few friends but a lot of visitors,” he added.
Students worried about their future
The students, resident doctors at the medical college are already traumatised. The uncertainty of the Red Fort blast and their university campus being used for the same has caught them off guard.
“We are worried about our job prospects after graduation. Who will want to hire after these arrests,” a student told Indian Express.
“She was our MD, Pharmacology. I attended both Dr Umar and Dr Shaheen’s classes. I never saw the three (Muzammil, Umar, Shaheen) together,” another said, adding “150 teachers lived in it; others were students. Yesterday police checked all rooms, including Umar’s.”
“There are no famous doctors from this hospital. And after these arrests who will hire us? I paid Rs 1 crore for 5 years here. The hostel rent is Rs 3 lakh per year,” the student added.
