Faridabad: The massive explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday evening, which killed nine people, has dragged Haryana’s Al-Falah University (AFU) into one of the most high-profile terror probes in recent years.
Blast in Delhi’s Red Fort led investigators to Faridabad
Investigators identified the driver of the explosive-laden i20 car as Dr Umar Un Nabi, an assistant professor at the Al-Falah University’s School of Medical Sciences. His name, along with those of two colleagues — Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie and Dr Shaheen Sayeed — soon surfaced in connection with an alleged Pakistan-backed terror module operating across Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
Al-Falah University’s role under spotlight
Al-Falah University, located in Faridabad’s Dhauj village, is now under investigation for whether its campus or resources were misused to facilitate radical activities. The arrests of the three doctors — all faculty members — have shocked the academic community and prompted questions about internal oversight. Police sources said the group may have exploited their professional cover to build logistical links for extremist operations.
In fact, one of the faculty members was a Kashmir-based doctor, Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan, who has been missing since the blasts on Monday evening. Dr Hassan was recently hired by AFU. Prior to his tenure in the University, he was formerly an assistant professor at Srinagar’s SMHS Hospital. However, he was dismissed by the Jammu and Kashmir government in 2023 for alleged anti-national activities. This raises questions on why the Al-Falah University hired him despite his tainted record.
From engineering roots to medical hub
Founded in 1997 as an engineering college, Al-Falah University received UGC recognition as a private university in 2014 under the Haryana Private Universities Act. Initially spread across 30 acres, the campus has grown to over 70 acres through land acquisitions from nearby villagers. It is managed by the Al-Falah Charitable Trust, registered in Delhi’s Okhla, and led by Chancellor Jawahar Ahmed Siddiqui, who also heads the trust.
The university began its first MBBS batch in 2019 and now offers 200 MBBS and 50 MD seats, attracting students from Mewat, Kashmir, and Bihar. In January 2025, former Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya inaugurated a new hospital building on the campus, expanding its teaching hospital to over 800 beds.
Explosives, hideouts and local ties
The investigation intensified when police recovered nearly 2,900 kg of ammonium nitrate from two rented rooms in Faridabad linked to Dr Muzammil. Alongside the explosives, authorities seized rifles, pistols, timers, and remotes — all of which point to a planned large-scale attack.
Raids in Dhauj and Fatehpur Taga villages revealed how the materials were moved and concealed over weeks. In one case, part of the explosives was discovered inside the home of Mohd Istaq, a cleric who led prayers at the university mosque. He had rented a room to Dr Muzammil, where over 350 kg of explosives were hidden.
Inside funding and operations
Sources within the university told investigators that recruitment and administration were managed from the Okhla head office in Delhi, under the supervision of Chancellor Siddiqui’s associates, Irfan and Razi. Media reports quoted several employees, who spoke anonymously, claiming that the university receives annual donations from Arab nations and said that the foreign fundraisers visit once a year. In fact, most of the donors who fund the charitable trust that runs AFU are based abroad, the employees averred.
The university charges about Rs 16 lakh a year for MBBS courses, while MD programme fees range from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 30 lakh, depending on the discipline. The engineering department graduated its final batch in 2021, after which the focus shifted to medical education.
Al-Falah University denies any wrongdoing
Amid the controversy, Vice-Chancellor Dr Bhupinder Kaur Anand issued a detailed statement denying any wrongdoing. “We are anguished by these unfortunate developments and strongly refute all false and defamatory allegations. Our laboratories are used solely for academic purposes,” she said.
The university also condemned the blast, stating, “We stand with the nation and reaffirm our commitment to peace and security.” Officials insisted that no chemical or explosive materials were stored on campus and that all lab activities follow strict safety protocols.
The probe intensifies
The investigation has now spread across Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir, with multiple agencies tracing possible foreign funding and connections to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.
For an institution that once prided itself on offering educational opportunity to underprivileged students from the Mewat belt, the stakes could not be higher. What began as a local college built to uplift communities now finds itself under the heaviest kind of scrutiny.