Baramulla doc had worked at Faridabad Al Falah varsity with suicide bomber

The doctor from north Kashmir’s Baramulla who was arrested yesterday by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the Red Fort blast case, worked in the same Al-Falah University in Faridabad where Dr Umer-un-Nabi — identified as the suicide bomber in the Delhi attack – also worked, officials said on Wednesday.

The anti-terror agency on Tuesday announced that it has arrested another doctor, Dr Bilal Naseer Malla, in the Delhi blast case, which the agency is currently investigating.

Official sources said Malla from Shutloo, Rafiabad in Baramulla district, had completed his MBBS from Government Medical College, Srinagar, and had registered himself with Jammu and Kashmir Medical Council last year.

Sources said then, Malla moved from J&K to Al-Falah University, where he began working as a junior resident in the paediatrics department of the university.

Security sources also said the investigation has so far found that he had no previous involvement with militancy. “A background check of the family and the doctor was conducted. So far, it has been found that Bilal or his family members had no previous links with militancy,” said sources, stressing that investigations are underway.

Investigators also believe that Malla was closely associated with Umer. “He knew Umer closely and was privy to what he (Umer) was doing…so he had an active role and association with Dr Umer,” said a source.

The NIA on Tuesday had also said the investigations have revealed that Malla had “knowingly harboured the deceased accused, Umer-un-Nabi, by providing him logistical support”. The agency said he was also accused of destruction of evidence related to the attack.

Security sources also said questioning of Malla is underway to collect more details about Umer and his network. “Since he was closely associated with Umer at Al-Falah, we are hopeful that the questioning will get us more details and leads,” they said.

Umer-un-Nabi from Pulwama, who was working at Al-Falah as a faculty, was driving the explosives-laden car that blew up near the Red Fort shortly after J&K Police announced that it has busted an inter-state terror module linked with terrorist organisations Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind. A larger quantity of explosives were seized from the module.

The module was unearthed when J&K police registered a case after Jaish posters carrying threats to security personnel were found pasted in Srinagar’s Bunpora Nowgam. When the investigation started, the police established the role of Molvi Irfan, who was a cleric at a Nowgam mosque, which led the investigators to the doctor terror module. Four doctors are among those who have been arrested in the case.