Kanpur, 13 Nov

The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has detained a medical student from Kanpur in connection with the ongoing investigation into the recent Delhi blast, officials said on Thursday.

The doctor, identified as Dr Mohammad Arif, 32, a first-year DM (Cardiology) student at the state-run Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial (GSVM) Medical College, was taken into custody from an undisclosed location, a senior official told PTI.

Later, an ATS team searched his rented accommodation in Ashok Nagar, Nazirabad, and seized his mobile phone and laptop for forensic examination before taking him to Delhi for questioning, the official said.

"He is likely to be confronted with those already arrested in the Delhi blast case," the official added.

Arif, a native of Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir, came under the ATS radar following disclosures made during the interrogation of former GSVM professor Dr Shaheen Sayeed.

Sayeed, connected to Al Falah University, has been arrested as part of an investigation into the "white-collar terror module" with links to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.

Sources said that on the day of the explosion near the Red Fort in Delhi, Arif was in telephonic contact with individuals allegedly linked to Dr Shaheen’s network, including her brother Parvez.

He had also recently visited Jammu and Kashmir, which further raised suspicion. When ATS personnel reached his residence, he allegedly attempted to delete data from his phone, but officials seized the device in time.

Preliminary analysis of his call records and chats reportedly indicated communication with the alleged mastermind and other suspects.

Investigators believe the group used a shared email ID to exchange draft messages, a method often employed by terror outfits to avoid electronic surveillance.

The development has caused unease among doctors and students at GSVM Medical College, particularly in the Cardiology Department.

Chief Medical Superintendent (Cardiology) Dr Gyanendra said, "Dr Arif joined here three months ago through All India counselling. He was on duty on Wednesday afternoon and later went to his accommodation outside the campus."

"Around 7pm, we were informed that a team had taken him for questioning. He was from Kashmir. He used to come, work quietly and leave," Dr Gyanendra said.

He said that the screening of all first, second and third-year cardiology students has been initiated as a precautionary measure.

Arif’s landlord, Kanhaiya Lal, said the doctor had been staying on rent for about a month with another doctor, Abhishek, on the second floor of his house.

"Around 7.30pm, a four-member team came straight to his room. They already had the keys, searched the entire portion, locked it again, and left quietly," Lal told reporters.

He added that Arif had submitted his ID before renting the room and that he had never noticed any suspicious activity or unusual visitors.

A top police official, requesting anonymity, confirmed that Arif was detained in Kanpur and later handed over to central investigating agencies for further interrogation.

Kanpur Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal told PTI that he had received information about the detention and had 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 any additional links to Dr Shaheen’s network.

More names may surface as the probe progresses, officials said.