Kanpur Medical Student Detained by ATS in Delhi Blast Probe

Kanpur: The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has detained a medical student from Kanpur in connection with the ongoing investigation into the latest blast in Delhi, officials said on Thursday. His name is Dr, a first-year student of DM (Cardiology) at the state-run Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial (GSVM) Medical College, a senior official told PTI. He said the doctor, identified as Mohammad Arif (32), was detained from an undisclosed location.

Later, an ATS team searched his rented accommodation in Ashok Nagar in Nazirabad and seized his mobile phone and laptop for forensic examination before taking him to Delhi for questioning, the official said. “He will probably face those arrested in the Delhi blast case,” the official added.

Arif, a native of Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir, came under the ATS radar after the statements made during the interrogation of former GSVM professor Dr Shaheen Sayeed. Sayeed, who is affiliated with Al Falah University, was arrested as part of the investigation into the “white-collar terrorism module” linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.

Sources say that on the day of the blast near the Red Fort in Delhi, Arif was among Dr. Arif, including his brother Parvez. He said he was in telephone contact with people allegedly associated with Shaheen’s network.

He had also visited Jammu and Kashmir recently, which had further raised suspicions. When the ATS personnel reached his home, he allegedly tried to delete the data from his phone, but the authorities seized the device in time.

Preliminary analysis of call recordings and chats reportedly showed communication with the alleged mastermind of the scheme and other suspects. Investigators believe the group used a common email ID to exchange draft messages; This is a method frequently used by terrorist organizations to prevent electronic surveillance.

The development caused anxiety among doctors and students, especially in the Cardiology Department of GSVM Faculty of Medicine. Chief Medical Examiner (Cardiology) Dr. “Dr Arif joined here three months ago through All India consultancy. He was on duty on Wednesday afternoon and later went to his off-campus accommodation,” Gyanendra said.

“Around 7 pm, we received information that a team had taken him for questioning. He was from Kashmir. He would come, work quietly and leave,” Dr Gyanendra said. He said that screening has started in all first, second and third year cardiology students as a precaution.

Arif’s landlord, Kanhaiya Lal, said that the doctor had been staying on rent on the second floor of his house with another doctor, Abhishek, for about a month. “Around 7:30 pm, a four-member team came directly to his room. They had already taken the keys, searched the entire section, locked it again and left quietly,” Lal told reporters.

He added that Arif presented his ID before renting the room, and that he did not notice any suspicious behavior or unusual visitors. A senior police official, requesting anonymity, confirmed that Arif was detained in Kanpur and later handed over to the central investigation agencies for further interrogation.

Kanpur Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal told PTI that he received information about the detention and sent a team to verify the reports. “We are checking the facts. I will comment only after confirmation,” Lal said. Meanwhile, ATS and National Investigation Agency (NIA) teams are continuing operations in Kanpur to trace additional links to Dr Shaheen’s network. Officials said more names may emerge as the investigation progresses.