TNI BUREAU: The investigation into Sunday’s blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, which killed nine people and injured more than twenty, has expanded to include more suspects from Faridabad’s Al-Falah University. According to reports, investigators have taken three additional doctors from the university into custody for questioning.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has now taken over the case, which has drawn nationwide attention due to the suspected involvement of individuals linked to the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Officers from the Delhi Police Crime Branch visited Al-Falah University earlier today, examined CCTV footage, and questioned staff and students to gather information about three doctors under investigation.
The doctors have been identified as Dr. Muzammil Shakeel, Dr. Umar Mohammed, and Dr. Shaheen Shahid, NDTV reported. Muzammil and Umar are from Kashmir, while Shaheen hails from Lucknow. All three were reportedly working at Al-Falah Hospital in Faridabad.
During earlier searches, the police recovered around 2,900 kilograms of explosive material from two rooms rented by Dr. Muzammil in Faridabad, even though he lived on the university campus. According to NDTV, investigators also found assault rifles and ammunition in a car owned by Dr. Shaheen Shahid, a colleague of Muzammil’s.
Dr. Shaheen, as reported by NDTV citing Delhi Police sources, was allegedly tasked with establishing the Indian branch of JeM’s newly formed women’s wing, Jamaat-ul-Mominaat. This organisation is said to be led in Pakistan by JeM founder Masood Azhar’s sister, Sadia Azhar.
Officials believe Dr. Muzammil was linked to earlier terror-related cases in Jammu and Kashmir, including posters supporting JeM that appeared in Srinagar. His arrest led to the recovery of more explosives, timers, and other materials suspected to be used for making bombs.
After these seizures and arrests, the Red Fort blast occurred, raising suspicions of a direct connection between the Faridabad terror module and the Delhi explosion. Investigators told NDTV that Dr. Umar Mohammed, also from Al-Falah, is suspected to have driven the Hyundai i20 car that exploded near a traffic signal close to the monument. Authorities are probing whether Umar carried out a suicide attack after learning about the arrests of his associates.
Dr. Shaheen’s car, a Maruti Suzuki Swift registered in Faridabad, was also searched by police, leading to the recovery of an assault rifle, a pistol, and several rounds of ammunition.
The JeM’s women’s wing, Jamaat-ul-Mominaat, was reportedly announced in October, soon after India’s Operation Sindoor, which targeted the group’s leadership. Recruitment for the new wing reportedly began in Pakistan’s Bahawalpur region and included women from economically weaker backgrounds and families of JeM commanders.
Investigators have also found links between the suspects and a Telegram group used to coordinate their activities. It has been reported that Umar Mohammed was part of a radical doctors’ network that used the encrypted messaging app to communicate and share instructions.
The authorities continue to question those detained, while the NIA examines possible links between the Faridabad module, the Delhi blast, and JeM’s operations in India.