NEW DELHI, Nov 13: A medical college professor and a cardiology student, both from Jammu and Kashmir, were detained in Uttar Pradesh in connection with the Delhi blast even as investigators said more attacks were planned in four cities across the country by an interstate “white-collar terror” module.
Meanwhile, the government on Thursday ordered a forensic audit of all records of the Al Falah University, which is under the scanner following the Delhi blast, besides asking the ED and other financial investigative agencies to check the money trail of the Haryana-based institution, sources said.
The car blast near Red Fort on Monday night claimed 13 lives and injured several others.
In the evening, the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) suspended the university’s membership, saying it “does not appear to be in good standing”.
Dr Farukh, an assistant professor of obstetrics at Hapur’s GS Medical College, was detained by Delhi Police from the college campus on Wednesday night.
He completed his medical education from Al Falah University.
Mohammad Arif Mir (32), a first-year DM student at Laxmipat Singhania Institute of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery of the state-run Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial (GSVM) Medical College in Kanpur, was detained by the Uttar Pradesh ATS.
The UP ATS later searched Arif’s rented accommodation in Ashok Nagar, Nazirabad, and seized his mobile phone and laptop for forensic examination before taking him to Delhi for questioning.
A native of the Khagur Sadiwara area in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag, Arif came on the ATS radar following disclosures made by former GSVM professor Dr Shaheen Sayeed, who has been arrested in connection with the terror module.
The Delhi Police also reconstructed Dr Umar Nabi’s last hours, right from leaving Faridabad the night before the blast to its execution, using footage from more than 50 cameras.
The investigators have found that the three suspects – Dr Nabi, who was behind the wheels of the Hyundai i20 that was laden with explosives, Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie, and Dr Shaheen Shahid – allegedly used a Switzerland-based encrypted messaging app Threema to plan and coordinate their activities related to the terror conspiracy.
Police, investigating the blast, said the suspects had pooled more than Rs 26 lakh in cash, which was handed over to Dr Umar for safekeeping and operational use.
Using the pooled money, the group had allegedly purchased around 26 quintals of NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) fertiliser, approximately worth Rs 3 lakh, from suppliers in Gurugram, Nuh, and nearby towns. The fertiliser, mixed with other chemicals, is commonly used to manufacture Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
Around eight suspects were planning to carry out blasts in four cities and were planning to move in batches of two to each city to target them, police sources said.
Notebooks and diaries recovered from the rooms of Dr. Muzammil and Dr. Umar at the campus of Al Falah University contained several coded entries, names, and numerical sequences dated between November 8 and 12, suggesting detailed planning for multiple attacks. They also had rented accommodations to store explosives.
While the i20 car was used during the blast carried out near Red Fort, two others, a red Ford Ecosport and a Maruti Brezza car have been seized by security agencies.
Meanwhile, the death toll rose to 13 after another injured person Bilal succumbed to his injuries at the LNJP Hospital here. (PTI)
