Srinagar: Investigators into the Faridabad terror module and Delhi car blast cases are looking into the role of Nisar ul Hassan, a former assistant professor of medicine at Srinagar’s SMHS Hospital, who had courted controversy in the past due to his alleged anti-national activities.
Hassan, who was a senior of Mohammad Umar Nabi – the doctor directly involved in the Delhi car blast – at Al Falah University in Faridabad, has apparently been detained by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for questioning.
Officials suspect that Hassan may have been involved in the ‘white-collar’ Jaish-e-Mohammed module.
Hassan is from the Achabal village in Sopore, a region once considered a hotbed of terrorism. He completed his MBBS from the Government Medical College, Srinagar in 1991, followed by an MD in General Medicine from the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in 2001.
He made his separatist learnings clear through his words during his career. The Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor once famously described him as a “ticking time bomb,” due to such behaviour and perceived ideological proximity to controversial groups.
During his stint at SMHS Hospital, Hassan served as president of the Doctors Association of Kashmir (DAK). In May 2013, he led a strike protesting the J&K spurious drugs scandal. This was a politically charged event supported by separatist organisations including the Hurriyat Conference.
In May 2014, the Omar Abdullah government suspended him over alleged seditious statements and calls to boycott tax and election duties. He was reinstated in August 2018.
He maintained a low profile until 2023 when his past statements resurfaced, resulting in his termination under Article 311(2)(c) for ‘anti-national credentials.’
Hassan is now in focus for the activities of his former junior, Nabi. The alleged terrorist worked under Hassan for over a year at Faridabad and officials are trying to find out if there was any connection, apart from professional ties, between the two.
Hassan’s family, however, denied his role in any of this. His wife, Suraiya, also a doctor, described the relationship between her husband and Nabi as ‘strained.’
Hassan was apparently unhappy with his junior’s frequent absences and lack of engagement with patients and students, which led to Nabi being transferred to another ward. She also clarified that her husband has not absconded but is ‘formally detained’ by the NIA for questioning, along with several Al Falah University students and staff members.