On 10th November, Faridabad’s Al-Falah University came under serious scrutiny after police unearthed a massive cache of explosives and arrested multiple doctors associated with the institution.

Within hours of these arrests, Delhi witnessed a high-intensity blast near the Red Fort, which tragically killed eight people. As the investigation progressed, more unsettling links between the suspects and the university began to surface.

Authorities revealed that doctors linked to Al-Falah University reportedly have connections with Pakistan-backed groups. According to several media outlets, the private university, which operates under a charitable trust, has also received funding linked to Gulf nations. The institution is spread across a sprawling 70-acre campus located on the outskirts of Faridabad.

Police sources quoted in India Today and Times of India stated that the ongoing probe aims to uncover whether academic resources or infrastructure were misused for unlawful activities. This revelation has not only raised national security concerns but also sparked questions about the due diligence exercised in monitoring educational institutions that receive foreign funding.

Al-Falah University: A detailed look at the institution under investigation

Al-Falah University was founded in 2014 and secured recognition from the University Grants Commission (UGC) in 2015. The institution operates under the Al-Falah Charitable Trust and offers a wide range of academic programs including undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral degrees in engineering, management, commerce, law, education, humanities, and medical sciences.

It also runs a 650-bed charitable hospital through its School of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, providing healthcare services to surrounding communities. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has accredited the university with an “A” Grade, which reflects its compliance with academic standards.

The campus is self-sufficient, featuring separate hostels for boys and girls, a residential complex for staff, and a growing international student base. The university’s website previously highlighted its mission to promote holistic education, but the current controversy has cast a long shadow on its reputation and governance.

Who runs Al-Falah University?

The founder and current Chancellor of Al-Falah University is Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, while Prof (Dr) Bhupinder Kaur Anand serves as Vice Chancellor, and Dr Mohd Parvez holds the position of Registrar.

Despite the severity of the allegations and the scale of the police operation, the university has failed to issue any public statement. This silence from the management has further intensified speculation regarding internal awareness or possible complicity.

News portals including OpIndia and Republic World have reported that investigators are examining whether the Al-Falah Charitable Trust maintained transparency in its foreign funding records and faculty recruitment processes.

University’s name emerges in one of the biggest terror-related hauls

During a joint operation by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and Haryana Police, officials seized approximately 2,900 kg of explosive-making material, along with assault rifles, pistols, detonators, and advanced bomb components. The investigation trail led directly to Al-Falah University, where Kashmiri medical professor Dr Muzamil Shakeel had been teaching for over three years.

Shakeel, one of the doctors arrested as part of what the police described as a “white-collar terror module,” was apprehended from Dhauj, Faridabad. According to police statements, a large portion of the explosives was recovered from Shakeel’s rented accommodation, which was located just a few hundred metres from the university.

The recovered cache reportedly included ammonium nitrate, AK-series rifles, 20 timers, batteries, and remote-control systems. Though ammonium nitrate is commonly used as a fertiliser, it can also serve as a crucial component for deadly improvised explosives. On 11th November, investigators raided the university premises to verify whether its laboratories were used to synthesise or test explosive materials such as RDX.

Speaking to the media, Faridabad Police Commissioner Satendra Kumar Gupta stated that the scale of the haul indicated “large-scale terror preparation.” He further confirmed that a forensic audit of the university’s laboratories and chemical storage facilities was being conducted.

Multiple arrests raise alarm about misuse of academic networks

So far, eight individuals have been arrested in connection with the case, including three medical professionals linked to Al-Falah University — Dr Muzamil Shakeel, Dr Adeel Ahmed Rathar, and Dr Shaheen Shahid.

Among them, Shaheen Shahid is believed to be a close associate of Shakeel and was reportedly assigned the task of setting up the Indian chapter of Jaish-e-Mohammed’s women’s wing, Jamaat-ul-Mominaat. All three are suspected of providing logistical and operational support to Pakistan-based terror outfits such as Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH).

According to reports, unnamed police sources indicated that the group functioned as part of a “white-collar terror module”, embedding themselves in academic and professional settings to evade detection. Several faculty members and doctors have since been detained for questioning, while a police team remains stationed at the university campus.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also joined the probe to trace potential foreign funding routes and determine whether the Gulf-linked donations received by the trust were diverted toward extremist activities.