Until the Red Fort blast on November 10, which killed at least 15 people, everything was officially perfect with the university – UGC-recognised, NAAC-accredited, proud banners everywhere.
“Our university is being called a terror den, an incubator of radicals. Some even say it should be razed to the ground. But what about the hundreds of students who came here only to build a career?” said a postgraduate MBBS student as he left the campus gates of Al Falah University with two suitcases, his face covered by a mask.
“If the college shuts down tomorrow, five years of NEET struggle and lakhs of rupees – everything will vanish. We will become that batch whose degree no hospital trusts.”
He added that his exams were over and he was returning home to Uttar Pradesh. He refused to share his identity.
The terror cloud descended suddenly. Until the Red Fort blast on November 10, which killed at least 15 people, everything was officially perfect with the university – UGC-recognised, NAAC-accredited, proud banners everywhere. Then came the arrests: Dr Umar un Nabi, the assistant professor who allegedly drove the explosive-laden car; Dr Muzammil Shakil, from whose rented house explosives were recovered; and finally the university founder himself, Jawed Ahmed Siddiqui, taken into ED custody over allegations of Rs 415 crore in “proceeds of crime.”
In a matter of days, the same institution went from “premier medical college” to “alleged white-collar terror hub” in TV tickers.
On November 12, Al Falah University’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Bhupinder Kaur, issued a statement clarifying that the institution had no association with the arrested individuals beyond their official employment as faculty members.
Despite the university becoming the epicentre of the blast investigation, college authorities confirmed that all 150 MBBS seats for the 2025-26 academic session have been filled. Established with approval in 2019, the college charges significantly lower fees compared to most private medical institutions – a factor that faculty members say explains the continued high demand despite the ongoing probe.
Rajesh Sharma, father of a first-year student, entered the gate on a bike with his daughter sitting behind him. “Tomorrow, parents will be addressing the media about their concerns. But personally, it’s my dream to see my daughter become a doctor. Where do I go now after what happened? Private colleges don’t have seats mid-session. Government colleges laugh at lateral entry. My daughter says, ‘Papa, if I leave now, I lose one year; if I stay and NMC cancels recognition, I lose everything.’ What kind of choice is this for a parent?”
When asked about fears of other potentially radicalised students within the university, Rajesh told NDTV, “Not every intellectual is a radical. Our dreams shouldn’t be punished for someone else’s sins. We understand the reputation of the university is spoiled, but trust can be restored. I trust the values I’ve taught my child.”
Al-Falah University has now resolved a matter with the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) after it was found displaying an expired accreditation status on its website. Responding to NAAC’s show-cause notice, the university attributed the error to an “oversight” and a “technical glitch in website design,” termed it unintentional, tendered an apology, and promptly removed the incorrect information.
NAAC has issued similar notices to 25 other higher education institutions across the country for displaying lapsed accreditation grades. Officials confirmed that, in the case of Al-Falah University, no further punitive action will be taken after the corrective measures.
The NMC has also permanently removed four doctors linked to a terror module – Dr Muzaffar Ahmad, Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather, Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie, and Dr Shaheen Shahid – from the Indian Medical Register, barring them from practising medicine in India. The action was taken after they were charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for their alleged involvement in the Delhi blast case.
Earlier, the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) had withdrawn Al-Falah University’s membership.
Yet inside the hostels, over 600 medical students – many from Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand and Haryana – are clinging to a single hope: the National Medical Commission (NMC).
“NMC is our only lifeline now,” says Arjun (name changed), a final-year student from Lucknow. “We know some faculty did unimaginable things. Punish them, investigate fully, but please don’t kill our careers. Transfer us, merge us with another college, do whatever – just don’t cancel the affiliation without a migration plan. We beg you. Tomorrow parents are protesting outside the gate – not against the college, but for our future.”
Even as NIA and police teams comb hostel rooms, and the Haryana DGP himself inspected the premises on Thursday, classes somehow continue.
A senior faculty member who still reports for duty told NDTV on condition of anonymity: “We are also scared because the administration is silent. But we come because abandoning these children now would be the real crime. Several of my colleagues have already left the campus on leave.”
Meanwhile, Faridabad Police Commissioner Satender Kumar Gupta has directed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe how the university turned into a hub for terrorist activities. The team has been tasked with collecting detailed information on the funding sources of the terror module and the supply chain of explosives. Reports are also being compiled on the involvement of residents from neighbouring villages in the network.
