Two doctors among three detained; FIRs registered against Al-Falah University

Delhi Police has detained three people, including two doctors from Haryana’s Al Falah University, in connection with the blast near the Red Fort, even as two separate FIRs were registered against the institution over alleged irregularities flagged by the UGC and NAAC, officials said on Saturday.
The detentions and fresh criminal cases come amid an escalating multi-agency probe into the Red Fort blast that claimed 13 lives and the activities of individuals linked to the university.
The Crime Branch has lodged two FIRs under charges of cheating and forgery following regulatory violations reported by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
The action was taken after both statutory bodies highlighted “major irregularities” in the university’s functioning.
A police team also visited the Okhla office of the university on Saturday to seek details related to those under scanner.
The police also detained two doctors — Mohammad and Mustakim — from Al-Falah University, who were known to Dr Umar Nabi, the driver of the Hyundai i20 car that exploded near the Red Fort on Monday.
Sources said Mohammad and Mustakim were allegedly in touch with Dr Muzammil Ganaie, who has been arrested in connection with the probe into an alleged “white collar terror module”. Both were also close associates of Umar.
Initial questioning revealed that one of the doctors was in Delhi on the day of the blast to appear for an interview at AIIMS, they said.Their statements are being verified to establish the extent of their association with Ganaie and their possible role in the wider conspiracy, officials added.
Another man, identified as Dinesh alias Dabbu, has also been detained for selling fertilisers without a licence.
It has emerged that the members of the terror module had pooled around Rs 26 lakh to buy explosive substances and spent Rs 3 lakh out of it to purchase NPK fertiliser, which is commonly used to make bombs.
It is being probed whether Dinesh sold the fertiliser to the suspects and if his activities extended beyond the illegal trade, officials said.Police teams have also questioned a tea seller in Wazirpur Industrial Area, where Umar halted for 10-15 minutes before the explosion. The seller told reporters he remembered a masked man sitting briefly at the stall.
Investigators have also sought visitor records from a mosque near Ramlila Maidan on Asaf Ali Road, where Umar was seen in CCTV footage hours before the blast.
A detailed log has been prepared of every vehicle that entered the Sunehri Masjid parking zone during the three hours when the car remained there before the explosion, police sources said. The list includes vehicle numbers, timings and ownership details.
A Delhi Police team and a bomb detection squad are stationed at the parking area and are checking all vehicles that have remained there since the blast.Cars present at the time of the explosion are being examined first. Once cleared, they are being returned to the owners after verification.
Investigators are showing Umar’s photograph to drivers and vehicle owners to verify whether he met or interacted with anyone while the car was parked. (PTI)