Faridabad: Investigators are combing through records and movements of more than 200 doctors, faculty members and non-teaching staff at Al Falah University as agencies widen the probe into the November 10 car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort, according to officials familiar with the inquiry.
The stepped-up checks have created visible unease on campus. On Wednesday, several employees were seen leaving the university carrying packed bags, with insiders saying many had applied for leave and temporarily returned home out of fear of being questioned.
Agencies are examining the details of all individuals who departed the campus in the hours and days following the blast. Investigators suspect that some among them may have had contact with those involved in the terror plot. Officials also say that many staffers appear to have wiped data from their phones, a move now under forensic review.
Police teams have been searching student hostels and rented rooms outside the campus, and more than 1,000 people have already been questioned as part of the widening net.
As part of the probe, a 35-year-old Anganwadi worker who rented a room in Nuh to suicide bomber Umar Un Nabi has been detained. She had reportedly gone missing soon after the attack. Authorities have also questioned members of her family and seven others to piece together Umar’s activities while he stayed in Hidayat Colony, where he allegedly used several mobile devices to avoid detection.
The fallout from the case has reached the university’s medical college as well. Hospital staff say daily patient numbers have dropped sharply—from around 200 outpatients to fewer than 100—after reports emerged suggesting the bomber had been associated with the institution.
Colleagues have told investigators that Umar enjoyed unusual privileges during his time at Al Falah University. According to two doctors apprenticing at the hospital, he was absent for nearly half a year in 2023 without any disciplinary action and would often conduct only brief lectures before withdrawing to his room. They also revealed he was consistently allocated evening and night shifts, never morning duty, raising questions about who facilitated his schedule.
The campus has now become a temporary command hub for multiple security units. Alongside the National Investigation Agency, the Delhi Police Special Cell, Uttar Pradesh ATS, Faridabad Crime Branch and Jammu & Kashmir Police have been regularly operating from the site. On Tuesday, the Enforcement Directorate joined the multi-agency effort, signalling a potential financial probe into those linked to Umar.
Officials say the focus now is on determining whether a handler or sympathiser within the university helped the bomber navigate academic and hospital systems without scrutiny. The investigation remains active, and more questioning is expected in the coming days.
