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‘Emotionally exhausting’: Al Falah University students' kin unsure of next steps amid terror probe
Al Falah University in Faridabad came under scanner after a crackdown on white collar terror module led probe agencies to its faculty members.
Uncertainty and anxiety looms large over Al Falah Medical College after the white collar terror module crackdown brought it under spotlight early this month. Regular classes resumed for first-year MBBS students at Al-Falah Medical College on Thursday at a time when several entities linked to the medical college are under the scanner of probe agencies investigating the Red Fort blast. The probe also led the investigators to financial regularities of the university's founder Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui.
Dr Umar un Nabi, the man who was allegedly behind the wheels of the ill-fated car that exploded outside Delhi's Red Fort on November 10, was an assistant professor at Al Falah Medical College. Dr Muzammil Shakil, from whose rented house in Haryana's Dauj village the security agencies unearthed a massive cache of explosives before the Delhi blast, also taught at the same private medical college.
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On Thursday, while the students trickled back to the campus mired in controversy, heavy police presence added to the anxiety of the students and parents who were accompanying their wards to the campus which is now under public and media scrutiny.
Several parents at Al Falah who travelled from cities such as Chandigarh, Lucknow Delhi, Haldwani told HT they were still struggling to assess whether the campus was safe, especially after investigators widened their probe to faculty members allegedly connected with Umar, who taught fourth-year students.
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Parents, students concerned
Father of a student said he is unable to decide whether to pull her daughter out of the varsity. “We panicked and asked her to return home immediately. Even today, we don’t know if keeping her here is the right decision. But what is the alternative? We can’t jeopardise her education,” an earlier HT report quoted as saying Manoj Kumar, who was accompanying his daughter from Agra.
He said the developments around the university shook the family.
Another parent, Sushil Mehta, had similar concerns, as he said the college needs to rebuild trust after recent events. “My son worked so hard to reach here. But after the news broke, our fear was real. The college needs to rebuild trust, communicate openly and ensure our children are safe. All we want is transparency," Mehta, a Lucknow resident, said.
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Students told HT that the vice-chancellor and faculty members held counselling sessions earlier this week to reassure them. “They told us things would settle down and not to pay attention to rumours,” said a first-year student. The administration also advised students to avoid interactions with outsiders and refrain from sharing unverified information online.
A fresher from Uttarakhand's Haldwani termed the situation as “emotionally exhausting.” “My parents kept calling non-stop after watching the news. I had to reassure them even when I wasn’t sure myself. If I withdraw now, I lose a year. But if things get worse, what happens next?”
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Another student said that those who attended Dr Umar's classes were questioned extensively and those who had minimal academic interaction had to give statements as well.
Restrictions have been stepped up on the campus as students said they are under constant monitoring of guards and officers. “There’s no normal college life left,” another student said.
Al Falah founder under scrutiny
The resumption of classes at Al Falah Medical College coincided with authorities in Madhya Pradesh issuing a demolition notice for the ancestral house of Al-Falah University founder Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui.
The institution is already under scrutiny for terror and financial irregularities. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday arrested Siddiqui after raids at over 25 locations in Delhi and Faridabad and was remanded to 13 days’ custody.
The probe agency alleged that Al-Falah University enriched itself “at the cost of students’ trust, future and legitimate expectations,” accumulating ₹415.1 crore in non-donation income that ED claims is “proceeds of crime.”
Indore Police also arrested Jawad’s brother, Hamood Ahmed Siddiqui, three days ago in connection with five pending cases of fraud and rioting.
(With inputs from Leena Dhankhar and Mihika Shah)
