'No Foreign Funding, Fully Cooperating With Probe': Al Falah Trust On Red Fort Blast Case

The Al Falah Charitable Trust is under the scanner but has denied any foreign funding amid a probe into its alleged terror links in the Delhi Red Fort blast case, sources told News18.

The Al Falah University in Faridabad, run by the trust, has been pulled into the investigation following the high-intensity car blast outside Red Fort Metro, which claimed 12 lives. Several key terror accused were faculty members at the university.

According to the sources in the trust, investigators are focusing their probe on the links between the institution and suspects in the case – Dr Umar Nabi, Dr Muzammil Ganaie, and Dr Shaheen Saeed. They have asked for all related documents pertaining to them.

The sources said the trust has denied allegations of external

funding. Amid reports suggesting questionable financing, those privy to its functioning told News18 that it “doesn’t receive any foreign funding”.

They said the university is “only run through varsity fees”. They explicitly indicated that the institution does not have any external funding apart from varsity funds.

The sources further denied that any foreign fundraiser, including those from Arab countries, ever came to the university. The trust’s coordination remains focused on providing the requested documentation to the police to assist the Delhi blast probe, they said.

They said the management and staff have publicly affirmed their full cooperation with the investigating agencies. Persons requesting anonymity, who are associated with the trust, said: “We are cooperating with the investigators.”

A representative said all professors and staff are actively cooperating with the agencies. Authorities have entered the campus, with Nissar ul Hassan reported to be inside and is being actively probed.

The trust has acknowledged that investigators have sought certain documents, which they maintain “would be provided to them”, the sources said.

The demands include transparency regarding the university’s legal and financial foundations, the sources said. It has been asked to produce land ownership papers, all documents relating to the Al Falah Trust, NOCs (no-objection certificates) received from government departments, and the building plan of the university campus, they said. The probe requires all documents received from the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the National Medical Commission (NMC), they added.

Dr Muzammil Ganaie and Dr Shaheen Saeed were both arrested in connection with the Delhi blast on Monday (November 10).

Dr Ganaie, who was arrested on October 30, was a teacher at the Al-Falah University. Notably, 2,900 kg of explosives and inflammable material were recovered from two rented rooms of the doctor. The rooms were not part of the university complex and were rented outside.

Preliminary probe into the blast near Delhi’s Red Fort has suggested links to the alleged terror module uncovered in Faridabad. Dr Umar Nabi, who was driving the car bearing Haryana registration that exploded in Delhi on Monday evening, was also connected to Al Falah.

The Delhi blast came hours after eight people, including doctors, were arrested and 2,900 kg of explosives were seized with the uncovering of a “white-collar terror module” involving the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind and spanning Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

(With agency inputs)