Delhi car blast probe: ‘Bomb-maker’ doctor kept grinder, furnace at Faridabad cabbie’s house; driver knew Muzammil for 4 years

Driver Knew Al-Falah Doc For 4 Yrs After He Treated His Son For Burns

FARIDABAD: Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie, believed to be the bomb-maker in the white coat terror module behind the Delhi blast, had kept an electric grinder and a portable furnace at the house of a cab driver who owed him a debt of gratitude for treating his son four years ago.

The machines were recovered during searches this week at the detained cab driver’s residence in Dhauj, close to the campus of Al-Falah University where Ganaie, co-accused Shaheen Shaid and Umar Un Nabi – the man who blew up the i20 car in Delhi on Nov 10, killing 15 people – were professors.




The cab driver’s house is the third premises linked to Ganaie’s bomb-making plan. A week after his arrest on Oct 30 by Jammu & Kashmir Police, raids at two houses rented by him yielded nearly 3,000kg of ammonium nitrate and other explosive material. While one of the houses — containing 358kg of ammonium nitrate — was in Dhauj itself, the other one — from where 2,600kg of ammonium nitrate was recovered just two days before the Delhi blast — was in Fatehpur Taga, a neighbouring village. Ammonium nitrate is not by itself an explosive but an oxidiser that mixes with other substances to form lethal explosives.

It is suspected that Muzammil intended to use the grinder and electrical machine to process the bigger cache of ammonium nitrate, but his arrest thwarted the plan. “The 358kg of ammonium nitrate that were found from Muzammil’s rented room in Dhauj were already in refined form,” a source said.

The cab driver told interrogators he first met Muzammil in 2021 while seeking emergency treatment for his son, who had accidentally spilled hot milk on himself. Grateful for the doctor’s timely help at Al-Falah Hospital, the driver claimed he agreed to store the machines at his home after Muzammil claimed they were wedding gifts for his sister.

According to sources, the cab driver described Muzammil as “polite and helpful”.

Whether the machines were also used at the cabbie’s house or if Muzammil took them to his university accommodation to process ammonium nitrate in small batches is still a subject of inquiry. “The driver also works at a crèche in Sainik Colony in Faridabad. We are keeping a close watch on him,” a source said.

The investigation into the Nov 10 blast has widened, with Punjab Police also joining the probe and arriving at Al-Falah on Thursday. The cops questioned students and staff about another doctor — detained earlier in Pathankot — who had previously taught at the university. The doctor, a resident of Anantnag in Jammu & Kashmir, had worked at a medical college near Mamun Cantonment in Pathankot for three years before returning to Al-Falah Medical College for a four-year stint. He was detained after Intelligence Bureau flagged possible links to the Delhi blast.

Punjab Police are examining his connections with former colleagues, including Umar. “We are looking at all possible associations and reviewing employment records to trace any links with the blast,” a senior officer said.

Yashpal, a spokesperson for Faridabad police, said local teams were conducting raids and monitoring busy areas in coordination with National Investigation Agency and other agencies. “Our special investigation team, formed immediately after the Delhi blast, is working closely with NIA to ensure no detail is missed. This case is of national importance. We are leaving no stone unturned,” he said.

Anxiety, meanwhile, has gripped the university campus. Parents have formed a WhatsApp group to discuss their children’s safety and academic prospects, with many planning to visit the university and speak to the management this weekend. “We are worried about our children’s future. The university must ensure their safety and clarify to us the situation,” said a parent from UP.

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