A medical student from Kanpur is the latest detainee in connection with the ‘terror module’ busted by investigative agencies probing the car explosion that occurred outside the Red Fort in New Delhi on November 10, killing 13 people.
The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) took into custody Dr. Mohammad Arif, 32, a first-year DM (Cardiology) student at the state-run Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial (GSVM) Medical College, a senior official said on Thursday.
“He is likely to be confronted with those already arrested in the Delhi blast case,” the official added.
A native of Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir, Arif has possible links with Dr. Shaheen Sayeed, another doctor already arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) sleuths, the official said. Suspicion of his connection with the case arose following disclosures made during the interrogation of former GSVM professor, Dr. Shaheen.
Sayeed, connected to the Al Falah University in Faridabad, Haryana, has been arrested as part of an investigation into the “white-collar terror module” with links to terror outfits, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.
Sources said that on the day of the explosion in Delhi, Arif was in telephonic contact with individuals allegedly linked to Dr. Shaheen’s network, including her brother Parvez.
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He had also recently visited Jammu and Kashmir, which further raised suspicion.
When ATS personnel reached his rented accommodation in Ashok Nagar, Nazirabad, he allegedly attempted to delete data from his phone, but officials seized the device in time. His mobile phone and laptop were seized for forensic examination before taking him to Delhi for questioning, the official said.
Preliminary analysis of his call records and chats reportedly indicated communication with the alleged mastermind and other suspects.
The development has caused unease among doctors and students at the GSVM Medical College, particularly in the Cardiology Department, which has begun a “screening” of all first, second and third-year cardiology students as a “precautionary measure”.
The Chief Medical Superintendent (Cardiology) at the department, Dr. Gyanendra said that Dr. Arif had joined the institute 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 used to come, work quietly and leave,” Dr. Gyanendra said.
Meanwhile, Arif’s landlord, Kanhaiya Lal, said the doctor had been staying on rent for about a month with another doctor, Abhishek, on the second floor of his house, and that he did not notice any suspicious activity or unusual visitors during his stay.
“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,” Lal told reporters.
A top police official, requesting anonymity, confirmed that Dr. Arif was detained in Kanpur and later handed over to central investigating agencies for further interrogation.
Kanpur’s Police Commissioner, Raghubir Lal, told reporters about having received information about the detention of the doctor, post which he sent a team to verify facts.
“We are checking the facts. I will comment only after confirmation,” Lal said.
Meanwhile, the ATS and National Investigation Agency (NIA) teams are continuing operations in Kanpur to trace any additional links to Dr. Shaheen’s network.
Investigators believe the group used a shared email ID to exchange draft messages, a method often employed by terror outfits to avoid electronic surveillance.
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