Faridabad: There’s an uninterrupted movement of police vehicles in and out of the main entrance of the Al-Falah University in Faridabad’s Dhauj village, as TV cameras and press persons keep a constant gaze. An unusual silence hangs over the campus, which has fast emerged as a key point of investigation, a day after a car explosion near Red Fort killed 12 people.
Students and teachers ThePrint reached out to were tight-lipped. They said they had been instructed not to speak to anyone outside the campus about the matter.
Before the Monday evening blast, a joint operation by the J&K Police, Haryana Police and IB—that had been on-going for the past fortnight—had seized explosive making material in huge quantities from the rented accommodation of Dr Muzammil Shakil, an MBBS associated with the Al-Falah University.
Three doctors associated with the university—Umar Mohammed, Muzammil Shakil and Shaheen Shahid—have reportedly been linked to the investigation. Mohammed was in the car that exploded and Shahid is alleged to have been tasked with setting up the women’s wing of Jaish‑e‑Mohammed in India, and rifles and ammunition were recovered from her car.
It has led to fear among students as well as patients visiting the hospital and research centre inside the campus.
“He [Shakil] was arrested about eleven days ago, and that’s when chatter started on campus. But after the Red Fort blast, the fear has become real. Police officers have been coming to the campus continuously for the past two days. We are scared that someone else involved could still be inside the university,” said a third-year medical student who had stepped out of the campus to get snacks from a stall outside the main gate, on Tuesday evening.
The news of Shakil’s arrest has also shocked residents of Dhauj village. “We have known him for a while. No one had the slightest idea he could do something like this,” said Salim Khan, a resident of Dhauj.
According to the sources in the police, a total of six people from the university, including the three doctors, have been found involved in these activities as of now—Muzammil Shakil, Umar Mohammed and Shaheen Shahid. Police are questioning the other three.
“So many people work at the university, this is very shocking as the name of the university is being hampered. I personally do not know anyone but people in the staff are talking about her and saying her behaviour was odd,” said a doctor who works at the university, referring to Shahid. They did not go into details.
Shahid was arrested on Monday after a raid at Al-Falah University in Faridabad in connection with the Red Fort blast case.
Despite constant police visits and investigation, the university hasn’t suspended classes.
“These are the admission times. If the image gets hampered, the admission will be affected. The university is helping the investigative agencies with all the investigation,” the doctor added.
The probe has put a spotlight on the college overnight. Young people keep flocking to the university gates just to get a sense of what’s happening. To see the cars, cameras and people. The tea stall in front of the university gate is seeing a spike in customers.
“I have been here for the last seven years and never witnessed this. The students and teachers haven’t come here for the last two days as they used to, but many others are here so business is good,” said a woman making pakoras at the shop.
Also read: Who were the people killed in Delhi car blast—bus conductor, Uber driver, shopkeeper
About Al-Falah University
Al-Falah University was founded by Professor (Dr) M Siddique in 2014. He is the current chancellor.
Siddique has been involved in the field of higher education for over two decades and started by opening engineering and teacher-training colleges in the late 1990s in the Faridabad–Mewat belt. He later expanded into medical and paramedical education.
The university received recognition from the UGC in 2015. It’s run by the Al-Falah Charitable Trust. The university campus is spread across approximately 70 acres. It includes the Al-Falah School of Engineering and Technology, Brown Hill College of Engineering and Technology, and the Al-Falah School of Education and Training.
Al-Falah Hospital, is a 650-bed charitable hospital, is also located within the campus. The hospital is part of the Al-Falah School of Medical Sciences and Research Centre.
The campus also includes hostels, staff and doctor quarters, a library, and laboratories.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)