As the investigation into the funding of deepens, teams from The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at 25 locations linked to Haryana-based Al-Falah University on Tuesday (Nov 18) as investigation continues on the Delhi Red Fort blast. Among the locations searched is the Okhla office of the university. The ED's action follows the government's orders to probe the university's funding. Al-Falah University has come under intense scrutiny in the investigation of the Red Fort car blast, with several of its associated doctors arrested for alleged involvement in a "white-collar terror network." The NIA has taken over the probe of the blast while other agencies including, the ED are now probing the university's funding and other aspects of its functioning. Earlier on Nov 12, the Al Falah group that manages Al-Falah University, in a statement, said that they have “no connection” with the arrested doctors, apart from working with them in their official capacities.
On Nov 10, a massive blast in a Hyundai i20 rocked Delhi, near the iconic Red Fort, killing at least ten people and injuring over 30. Earlier on Nov 9, around 350 kilogram of explosives, an AK-47 rifle, as well a large cache of ammunition was recovered in a joint operation by the police forces of Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, along with the Intelligence Bureau (IB) recovered from Faridabad. The cops seized 360 kgs of inflammable material, possibly ammonium nitrate, and ammunition. The recoveries and arrests point to the existence of what police described as a ‘white-collar terror ecosystem’, with links to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and the al-Qaeda-linked Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH).
Al-Falah University said in a statement that it has been running academic and professional programmes, including MBBS training, since 2019, and that its graduates are now serving in reputed hospitals and institutions across India and abroad in responsible positions. The university expressed deep sadness over the recent developments, saying it “condemned” the incident and that its thoughts were with all innocent people affected. It also clarified that two doctors detained by investigating agencies were associated with the institution only in their official working roles, and that the university had no other connection to them. Addressing media reports, the university noted with concern that several online platforms were circulating “baseless and misleading stories” aimed at harming its reputation, adding that it “strongly denied” all such allegations.
