THE DNA test of samples collected from the Red Fort blast site has confirmed that Umar Nabi was driving the car that exploded there early this week, police sources said on Thursday. The DNA samples of Umar’s mother were collected on Tuesday and sent here for examination, the sources said, adding that they were analysed along with the remains gathered from the blast site.

 

“The DNA results confirm that it was indeed Umar who was driving the fateful vehicle,” said a source. Investigators said more attacks were planned in four cities across the country by an interstate ‘white-collar terror’ module. Umar was a key member of a ‘white collar’ terror module busted earlier this week. He hails from Koil village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama. Hours after police busted the terror module with links to proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, and arrested eight people including three doctors, the high-intensity blast ripped through a slow-moving car near Delhi’s Red Fort area on Monday evening. Police have cordoned off areas within a 200-metre radius of the Red Ford EcoSport car allegedly linked to suspects behind the deadly blast in Delhi, a day after it was seized from Haryana’s Faridabad district, police sources said on Thursday.

 

A bomb disposal squad has arrived for inspection after the vehicle was seized from Khandawali village in Faridabad. Faridabad Police have also rounded up a person who allegedly parked the car in the village and handed him over to Delhi Police, officials said. Earlier, Delhi Police had sounded an alert across all police stations, police outposts, and border checkpoints to trace the Red Ford EcoSport. The alert was issued after investigation revealed that the suspects had procured three cars -- a white Hyundai i20, a red EcoSport and a Maruti Suzuki Brezza -- to carry vehicle-borne IEDs. 

 

 

THE Association of Indian Universities (AIU) on Thursday suspended membership of Al Falah University, which is under scanner in connection with the Red Fort blast case, officials said. The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) is a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, with membership of Indian Universities. It provides a forum for administrators and academicians of member universities to exchange views and discuss matters of common concern. “It is intimated that, as per the Bye-laws of the Association of Indian Universities(AIU), all universities shall be treated as members as long as they remain in good standing,” said AIU Secretary General, Pankaj Mittal. “However, it has come to notice that Al Falah University, Faridabad, Haryana, does not appear to be in good standing. Accordingly, the membership of AIU was accorded to Al Falah University, Faridabad, Haryana, stands suspended with immediate effect,” she added.

 

The top official informed that Al Falah University is not authorised to use the name or logo of AIU in any of its activities, and the AIU logo must be removed from the university’s official website. The Al Falah University in Dhauj village in Faridabad came under the scanner of investigating agencies after an intestate “white collar” terror module was busted. It is a private institute that also houses a hospital on its campus. On Monday, a high-intensity blast ripped through a car near Red Fort in Delhi, killing 13 people and injuring several others, hours after the busting of a “white collar terror module” and the arrest of eight people, including three doctors. The arrested doctors were linked to Al Falah University.