Inside Room 13: How a Faridabad University Classroom Became the HQ for Delhi’s Red Fort Blast

The National Investigation Agency has launched a sweeping crackdown on Al-Falah University in Faridabad after forensic evidence traced the planning of the November 10 Red Fort bombing to the campus. Investigators say Room 13 in Building 17 wasn’t just a classroom—it was an operational war room for a “white-collar” terror module run by medical doctors and university professors.

Evidence now suggests this cell didn’t just intend one attack. They allegedly stockpiled industrial-grade materials for a coordinated campaign of violence across Delhi-NCR.

The Context: How We Got Here

The probe exploded open when DNA analysis linked the suicide bomber in the Hyundai i20 blast—which killed 13 people—to Dr. Umar Mohammad, a faculty member at the university.

Raids that followed were staggering in their revelations:

2,900+ kg of explosives and chemical precursors recovered from rented flats and university-linked premises.

Intelligence inputs now indicate that the group, having pooled ₹30 lakh, intended to hit six NCR locations on December 6, aligning their attack with the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition—a date historically fraught with tension.

The Key Players: Who They Are & Why It Matters

Dr. Umar Mohammad — Faculty Member & Bomber

His DNA was found at the blast site. Diaries recovered from his residence include coded notings detailing procurement, logistics, and reconnaissance. For investigators, he is the puzzle piece that cracked open the module.

Dr. Muzammil Shakeel — Professor & Alleged Planner

The primary occupant of Room 13. Interrogators describe him as the “logistics brain” of the operation—handling supplies, storage, and coordination. He is now in NIA custody.

Al-Falah University — Under Institutional Scrutiny

The university insists it has “no connection with the accused beyond their official duties,” but investigators aren’t dismissing the possibility of systemic oversight failures or deeper ideological networks.

National Investigation Agency — The Lead Investigator

The NIA has expanded its probe to include land records, lab access logs, communication trails, and faculty networks dating back to 2019. Over a dozen educators and students are under questioning.

The BigStory Reframe: Why This Case Is Bigger Than the Blast

Mainstream coverage has zeroed in on the dramatic arrests and the shock value of the explosive haul. But the deeper problem is more unsettling:

a highly educated terror module operating undetected within a respected academic institution.

This wasn’t a ragtag group. These were people trained in anatomy, chemistry, and scientific precision. They allegedly handled chemicals, used lab equipment, exploited institutional blind spots, and coordinated with professional discipline.

When PhDs and MBBS degrees become camouflage for violent extremism, the threat matrix shifts entirely.

The Implications: Why This Changes the Game

India may soon see a complete reshaping of campus security architecture.

Chemical labs could come under tighter national regulation. Faculty hiring in sensitive departments may require deeper background checks. Universities may be mandated to maintain auditable chemical inventory logs.

The involvement of medical practitioners—traditionally seen as low-risk—forces agencies to rethink terror profiling.

Radicalization may no longer be confined to socio-economic margins; it may be thriving in intellectual spaces that were once assumed safe.

The Final Question: What Does This Mean for the Future?

If terror plots can be crafted behind academic titles and inside university classrooms, what new lenses must security agencies develop to detect threats hidden behind lab coats, doctor’s badges, and university ID cards?

The uncomfortable truth is this:

The next terror cell might not emerge from a remote hideout—but from the staff room of a college.

FAQs:

• What is the connection between Al-Falah University and the Delhi blast? The NIA found that Room 13 in Building 17 of Al-Falah University was used as a planning hub by faculty members to plot the November 10 Red Fort blast.
• Who are the main suspects from Faridabad in the Delhi terror plot? The key suspects are Dr. Umar Mohammad (the alleged suicide bomber) and Dr. Muzammil Shakeel, both faculty members at Al-Falah University.
• What evidence did NIA find at Al-Falah University? Investigators recovered coded diaries, digital footprints, and chemical residues linked to explosives, alongside over 2,900 kg of explosive materials found in associated raids.
• Was the university administration involved in the blast? The NIA is investigating institutional records, but the university has officially stated it had no connection to the plot beyond the suspects working there in official capacities.

Sources

NDTV – Red Fort Blast: Al-Falah University secret meeting spot for terrorists

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/red-fort-blast-al-falah-university-secret-meeting-spot-for-terrorists-XXXX

NDTV – Dr. Umar Mohammad Jaish link, Al-Falah University Faridabad doctors

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/dr-umar-mohammad-jaish-link-faridabad-doctors-XXXX

India Today – Special Report: How a white-collar terror plot was busted at Al-Falah University

https://www.indiatoday.in/xxxx

Hindustan Times – Delhi Blast: NIA seeks Al-Falah records since 2019

https://www.hindustantimes.com/xxxx

India Today – Doctors of Terror investigation

https://www.indiatoday.in/xxxx