New Delhi: In the narrow lanes of Jamia Nagar, tucked between shops selling medicines, clothes, bakery items, and daily essentials, stands the unassuming headquarters of Al-Falah University. Despite having no signboard or directions to indicate its presence, the office continues to witness an unusual crowd after the recent blast at Lal Qila and the subsequent arrest of several doctors associated with the university.
Now, everyone wants to know more about the university, the trust, and the possible links connected to it. Although the university campus has been closed to outsiders since the blast, the Jamia Nagar headquarters continues to function as usual.
“Every hour, new people come asking about the Trust. Earlier, only students visited this office. Now, it’s mostly media persons and locals curious about who’s coming and going,” said the security guard stationed at the entrance, requesting anonymity.
The headquarters, which usually handles the administrative and documentation work of the university, has been surrounded by more media personnel than students who once came here for admissions, fee payments, or general inquiries. The office has 17 administrative employees, including clerks, helpers and senior staff members.
Despite the recent attention, it remains open to the public, and daily operations continue as usual. The staff member also confirmed that no officials or police have visited the premises for questioning or any kind of inquiry so far. However, they have been instructed by the university not to talk about the incident or the blast with any person.
“We only guide students about the admission process and documentation work here. The office remains open for students as per the university’s instructions,” Mohammad Razi, an administrative officer at the headquarters, said, adding that the office has been functioning since 1997 and serves solely as the legal and administrative wing of the university.
The university is an initiative of the Al-Falah Charitable Trust, which first established an engineering college in 1997, followed by a teacher-training institute in 2006. It was officially recognised as a university in 2014, and its medical college became operational in 2019.
On Wednesday, Al-Falah University in Faridabad issued a press note denying any connection with the three staff members detained in relation to the blast. The statement also rejected claims that any chemicals were stored or handled on its campus.
Speaking about the incident, one of the staff members of the trust said, “You can’t really predict what someone does outside their workplace. The doctors who were involved in the blast were regular employees — no one could have imagined they would do something like this.”
It’s unfair to blame the trust or the university for their individual actions, he added.
“People come to my shop more often to ask for directions to the Al-Falah office than to buy anything,” said a paan shopkeeper sitting across the building.
Also read: Al Falah University students are scared—’someone else involved could still be inside’
HQ continues to function as usual
A group of men gathered in front of the Al-Falah Headquarters, curiously watching the media personnel filming outside and frequently entering the premises. Some wondered if the office was under investigation, while others discussed the car blast incident.
“Because of a few individuals, the Trust is facing this difficult time — even though it has been working for the people for so long,” said another staff member present in the office.
Amid the curious onlookers and media personnel, two students entered the waiting area of the Al-Falah office. They waited to meet an administrative officer and inquired about the fees for the BA Economics course, explaining that they were late for admissions. After receiving answers to their queries, they left quietly.
“There are only a few individuals involved in the incident, not the university itself. So why should students think twice before choosing it?” said a third-year MBBS student of the university who had come to the office to inquire about her sister’s admission.
“Many incidents happen in different universities, but that doesn’t stop students from studying there,” she added.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)