Faridabad (Balwinder Singh): The investigation into the November 10 car bombing near the Red Fort has widened dramatically, with more than 200 employees of Al Falah University now being examined for possible links or lapses connected to the attack, officials said.
Security agencies have maintained a near-constant presence on the campus over the past week, prompting a wave of anxiety among staff and students. Several employees were spotted on Wednesday leaving the university with packed luggage, and insiders say many have opted to take extended leave until the situation stabilises.
Investigators are mapping the movements of all individuals who abruptly left the university after the blast. They suspect that some may have had contact with those involved in the plot. Officials also revealed that numerous staff members appear to have erased data from their phones, which is now part of a digital forensics review.
In addition to searching campus facilities, police teams have fanned out into nearby hostels and rented accommodations used by students and university staff. More than 1,000 people have been questioned so far, in what officials describe as one of the largest parallel inquiries the region has seen in recent years.
A major development came with the detention of a 35-year-old Anganwadi worker from Nuh, who had rented a room to suicide bomber Umar Un Nabi. The woman had gone underground shortly after the Delhi explosion. Her family and several acquaintances in Nuh have also been questioned to trace Umar’s activities, including his use of multiple mobile phones while living in the area.
The hospital attached to Al Falah Medical College has also felt the impact of the controversy. Staff report a steep decline in patient turnout after the bomber’s association with the institution became public. Daily outpatient numbers have reportedly plunged from about 200 to under 100.
Investigators are now following up on allegations made by junior doctors that Umar received unusual exemptions during his time at the university. They claim he disappeared for nearly six months in 2023 without explanation, returned to duty without facing disciplinary measures, and was routinely assigned evening or night shifts instead of morning rotations. Colleagues say he taught very few classes, often delivering only short sessions before returning to his quarters.
Multiple agencies are operating from a temporary command setup inside the university, including the NIA, Delhi Police Special Cell, Uttar Pradesh ATS, the Faridabad Crime Branch and the Jammu & Kashmir Police. The Enforcement Directorate joined the investigation on Tuesday, raising the possibility of financial tracing linked to people associated with Umar.
Officials say the central question now is whether someone embedded within the university system facilitated or shielded the bomber. The multi-agency probe is expected to expand further as investigators sort through phone records, campus access logs and financial trails.
