NIA makes key arrest in Delhi blast probe, detains Al-Falah University medical student

Kolkata (The Uttam Hindu): In a joint operation with the West Bengal Police, National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials arrested an MBBS student of Al-Falah University in Faridabad from Dalkhola in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district in connection with the car blast case near the Red Fort Metro station in Delhi, state police sources said on Saturday.

The arrested student has been identified as Nisar Alam. He and his family have long lived in Ludhiana, Punjab. However, their ancestral home is in Dalkhola.

According to reports, he had come to Dalkhola earlier this week with his mother and sister to attend a family function. NIA officials tracked Alam's mobile tower location, and officers from the central intelligence agency arrived in Dalkhola on Friday and arrested him.

Following his arrest, Alam was taken to the local Islampur police station. After a few hours of questioning at the station, the accused was taken to Siliguri in Darjeeling district. According to information received Saturday morning, NIA officials may later bring him to Delhi on transit remand.

Locals of Konal village in Dalkhola, where the ancestral house of the accused is located, told media persons that the Alam family had moved to Ludhiana some time ago, but they were in touch with their relatives living in the ancestral house.

"Alam and other members of his family would visit relatives from time to time. We found him to be a very polite and soft-spoken young man. We would never have guessed he was involved in militant activities," a resident told reporters on Saturday morning.

Al-Falah University, located in Faridabad, has been in the national spotlight over the past few days due to shocking incidents, including the recovery of a large quantity of explosives and an explosion near the iconic Red Fort in Delhi. The blast killed 10 people and injured dozens. Police teams have visited the Al-Falah University campus in Dhauj, Faridabad, several times over the past few days, questioning 52 doctors.