The case of the missing doctor | How a Kashmir medic sacked for terror links in 2023 ended up at Al-Falah University

Srinagar: The trail of the Red Fort car bomb blast and the busting of a “doctor terror module” has led investigators to one Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan, a Kashmiri doctor who was terminated on terror charges in 2023, who has now gone missing from Faridabad.

Dr Hassan, formerly an Associate Professor at Srinagar’s SMHS Hospital, was dismissed by the Jammu and Kashmir administration under Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution — a provision that allows the government to terminate employees without inquiry in cases involving state security.

After his dismissal, he reportedly took up a position as a professor in the Department of Medicine at Al-Falah University, which is now under scrutiny by central agencies investigating the module.

Officials said Dr. Hassan’s sudden disappearance after the November 10 Red Fort blast, which killed 12 people, has deepened suspicions of his possible role in the larger network of radicalised professionals accused of facilitating terror logistics under the guise of legitimate employment.

Investigators are probing whether Al-Falah University or its network of medical professionals was exploited as a cover or recruitment channel by the module. They are also examining any links between Dr Hassan and Dr Umar Nabi, a Pulwama resident suspected to have carried out the suicide car bombing near the Red Fort.

In a brief statement, Al-Falah University’s Vice-Chancellor said the institution “has no connection with the said persons apart from them working in their official capacities with the University,” adding that it is cooperating fully with the authorities.

The development comes amid an ongoing investigation into the recovery of 2,900 kg of explosives from a Faridabad house rented by another Kashmiri doctor, Dr. Adeel Rather, believed to have overseen logistics for the same network.

Sources said the group’s plan involved embedding professionals and students in key Indian cities to create safe houses, move materials, and evade detection. Among those arrested are Dr Shaheen Saeed, Dr Muzammil Shakeel Ganai, and Dr Adeel Rather, all with medical backgrounds and alleged professional ties to Al-Falah University.

Another suspect, Dr Umar Nabi, is believed to have been the bomber who died in the Red Fort explosion.

According to officials, several doctors from Pulwama, Shopian, and Anantnag provided a “white-collar cover” to the network, enabling its members to operate freely across the Delhi-NCR region. The group had reportedly established bases in Dhauj and Fatehpur Taga, rural pockets of Faridabad, where the explosives were stored in batches before being moved for the planned strikes.