Delhi blast: Cardiology student, medical professor detained from UP

Kanpur/Hapur, Nov 13 (PTI) A college professor and medical student, both from Jammu and Kashmir, were detained in Uttar Pradesh's Hapur and Kanpur, respectively, in connection with the November 10 Delhi blast, officials said on Thursday.

Dr Farukh, an assistant professor at Hapur's GS Medical College, was detained by Delhi Police.

Hapur Additional Superintendent of Police Vineet Bhatnagar said, "Farukh taught in the obstetrics department (of GS Medical College) and lived on the college campus for nearly a year. He was detained from the premises on Wednesday night." He is a native of Jammu and Kashmir, and completed his medical education from Al Falah University in Haryana's Faridabad, the officer said.

The university came under the scanner of investigation agencies after an intestate "white collar" terror module with links to proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind was busted.

Mohammad Arif Mir (32), a first-year DM student at Laxmipat Singhania Institute of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery of the state-run Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial (GSVM) Medical College, was detained by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) from an undisclosed location on Thursday, a senior official told PTI.

The UP ATS later searched Arif's rented accommodation in Ashok Nagar, Nazirabad, and seized his mobile phone and laptop for forensic examination before taking him to Delhi for questioning, the official said.

"He is likely to be confronted with those already arrested in the Delhi blast case," the official added.

Arif, a native of the Khagur Sadiwara area in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag, came on the ATS radar following disclosures made by former GSVM professor Dr Shaheen Sayeed, who has been arrested in connection with the terror module.

Sources said that on the day of the explosion in Delhi, Arif was in touch on phone with individuals allegedly linked to Dr Shaheen's network, including her brother Parvez.

Arif also recently visited Jammu and Kashmir, which raised further suspicion. When ATS personnel reached his residence, he allegedly attempted to delete data from his phone, but the device was seized in time, the sources said.

Preliminary analysis of his call records and chats reportedly indicated communication with the alleged mastermind and other suspects.

The sources said investigators recovered data from Arif's laptop and phone, after which his associates came under scrutiny.

Investigators believe the group used a shared email ID to exchange draft messages, a method often employed by terror outfits to avoid electronic surveillance.

The development has caused unease among doctors and students at GSVM Medical College, particularly in the Cardiology Department.

Chief Medical Superintendent (Cardiology) Dr Gyanendra said, "Dr Arif joined here three months ago through All India counselling. He was on duty on Wednesday afternoon and later went to his accommodation outside the campus." "Around 7 PM, we were informed that a team had taken him for questioning. He was from Kashmir. He used to come, work quietly and leave," Dr Gyanendra said.

He said that the screening of all first, second and third-year cardiology students has been initiated as a precautionary measure.

Arif's landlord, Kanhaiya Lal, said the doctor had been staying on the second floor of his house with his batchmate Abhishek for about a month.

Kanhaiya Lal owns six flats in the building, of which two are occupied by his family and the rest have been rented.

"Around 7:30 PM, a four-member team came straight to his room. They already had the keys, searched the entire portion, locked it again, and left quietly," Kanhaiya Lal told reporters.

He added that Arif had submitted his ID before renting the room and that he had never noticed any suspicious activity or unusual visitors.

A top police official, requesting anonymity, confirmed that Arif was detained in Kanpur and later handed over to central investigating agencies for further interrogation.

Kanpur Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal told PTI that he has received information about the detention and has sent a team to verify the reports.

"We are checking the facts. I will comment only after confirmation," Lal said.

Dr Awadhesh Kumar Sharma, media in-charge of GSVM Medical College, said, "Arif first got admission at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, but later chose Kanpur during the second round of counselling." College director Dr Rakesh Verma said Arif secured an All-India Rank of 1608 in the NEET Super Speciality examination. "He was a bright and disciplined student," Verma added.

Arif's roommate, Dr Abhishek, who briefly went missing after the ATS action, later surfaced to deny any link with the case. "I was at a friend's house when he was taken. I have no connection with any suspicious activity," he told reporters.

According to the sources, Arif's flat near Fatima Hospital in Ashok Nagar was arranged with the help of another doctor, Mohammad Yasir of Aligarh.

"He would leave for the hospital on a bike taxi every morning and return late in the evening. He rarely interacted with anyone," a neighbour said.

The medical fraternity in Kanpur has expressed shock over the developments.

Meanwhile, both National Investigation Agency (NIA) and ATS, have begun verifying the backgrounds of Kashmiri-origin students studying in Kanpur and are continuing operations to trace any additional links to Dr Shaheen's network.

According to ATS sources, around 48 such students are currently enrolled at a leading technical institute and details about their activities are being collected.

More names may surface as the probe progresses, they said.

Hours after police busted the terror module on Monday, a high-intensity blast in a slow-moving car outside Delhi's Red Fort area claimed 13 lives and injured several others.

Eight people, including seven Kashmiris, have been arrested so far in connection with the terror module.

The government on Wednesday termed the explosion a "heinous terror incident" and directed investigating agencies to deal with the case with "utmost urgency and professionalism". PTI COR KIS CDN SHS SHS