From Campus to Conspiracy: Four Al Falah Doctors Under Lens in Delhi Blast Case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has zeroed in on four doctors from Al Falah University as the masterminds behind the November 10, 2025, car bomb blast near Delhi’s Red Fort Metro Station that killed 13 and injured over 20, uncovering a meticulously planned terror module linked to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Dr. Umar Mohammad, identified via DNA as the suicide bomber who drove the explosives-laden Hyundai i20, along with detained colleagues Dr. Muzammil Shakeel, Dr. Adeel Rather, and Dr. Shaheen Saeed, allegedly pooled Rs 30 lakh for operations, purchased 2,600 kg of NPK fertilizer from Gurugram and Nuh markets for Rs 3 lakh to fabricate IEDs, and held clandestine meetings in Room 13 of university Building 17.

The plot, initially targeting serial blasts across the NCR on December 6—the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition anniversary—was prematurely executed when Umar panicked after his associates’ arrests on November 7 yielded 2,900 kg of explosives, including 350 kg of ammonium nitrate.

Investigators revealed that the quartet exploited their faculty positions to smuggle chemicals from the university laboratory—located mere meters from Muzammil’s sealed room—for mixing with ammonium nitrate to create ANFO (ammonium nitrate fuel oil) explosives, the compound used in the Red Fort detonation. Digital devices, pen drives, and chemical residues recovered from the lab and rented hideouts in Dhauj and Taga villages are undergoing forensic analysis, with police confirming the module’s intent to strike multiple Delhi and Uttar Pradesh sites. The university, a private institution established in 2014, has distanced itself, stating in an official release, “We have no connection with the said persons apart from their official capacities,” while Vice-Chancellor Bhupinder Kaur Anan condemned “baseless reports” maligning its reputation.

The “doctor module” represents a chilling evolution in JeM’s recruitment, leveraging educated professionals’ access and credibility to evade detection. Coordinated via encrypted Telegram channels under a Shopian-based cleric and JeM handler Umar bin Khattab, the network financed operations through digital wallets and assembled IEDs in urban safehouses. The Red Fort blast, executed after Umar’s three-hour reconnaissance captured on over 50 CCTVs, was a desperate fallback after the November 7 raids disrupted the larger December 6 plan. Nine additional arrests in Kanpur yielded firearms and ricin precursors, signaling a broader conspiracy.

Also Read: Delhi 10/11 Blast Update: Bomber Vehicle Traced Through 50 CCTV Cameras

As the NIA probes potential accomplices and international funding trails, the case exposes vulnerabilities in radicalization among India’s elite, with Al Falah now under scrutiny despite its denial. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi CM Rekha Gupta have vowed swift justice, with security heightened across NCR hotspots. The incident, echoing JeM’s 2001 Parliament attack, underscores the persistent threat from symbolic revenge narratives tied to Babri, even 33 years later.

Also Read: Who Was Dr Umar Mohammad, The Doctor Turned Suspected Delhi Suicide Bomber?