Kanpur Doctor Questioned in Delhi Blast: Bright Student, Good Conduct Says Institute

Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 13 (ANI): After their senior resident doctor was called in for questioning in connection with the Delhi blast case, Dr Rakesh Verma, Director of LPS Institute of Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery in Kanpur, on Thursday said that the administration will ensure that each employee undergoes police verification thoroughly.

While addressing a press conference, Verma said that Dr Mohammad Arif was a "bright student" who secured a "very good rank".

"He secured a very good rank- 1008. He was a bright student. We will ensure that everyone undergoes police verification. The administration will get police verification done for every employee on a personal level," he said.

Dr Awadhesh Sharma, a professor, stated that Dr Arif is a senior resident in DM/MCh Cardiology since August and left the premises yesterday evening after completing his duty.

Arif, a resident of Anantnag in Kashmir, has been detained by Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) from Kanpur over an alleged connection to Delhi blast suspect Dr Shaheen Saeed.

Sharma stated in a press conference that Arif had been living in a rented house in Kanpur's Ashok Nagar since there were no hostel facilities available during the early days.

"Every year, students from all over the country come here for three years of training in various courses. This time, in the first year of DM Cardiology, a doctor named Mohammad Arif Mir, whose father's name, according to our hospital records, is Ghulam Hasan Mir, joined us in August 2025 as a senior resident in the DM Cardiology postgraduate super-speciality course. This course is three years long," the professor said.

He further informed that Arif's conduct has been "good" and there was no sign of him being involved in any suspicious activity. However, he added, it was difficult to assess any student within a short period of four months.

"His (Arif's) address listed in our records is in J&K. He was living on rent in Ashok Nagar, near Fatima School, Kanpur, because hostel facilities were unavailable in the early days. All the students were renting accommodation outside. His conduct was good, and there was no sign of him being involved in any suspicious activity. It's a four-month period, so it's very difficult to assess any student during this four-month period," Sharma said.

"Doctor Arif was regularly coming to his work; there was no such continuous absence. Yesterday evening, he must have left from here after doing his duty in the evening, and he has done his full work in the morning," he added.

A medical student, identified as Mohammad Arif, has been detained by Uttar Pradesh ATS, from Kanpur, over an alleged connection to Delhi blast suspect Dr Shaheen Saeed, officials said.

Gyanendra Kumar, Chief Medical Staff (CMS) at LPS Institute of Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery in Kanpur, told ANI that Dr Arif, a first-year cardiology student from Anantnag in Kashmir, was called in for questioning yesterday evening. He said that the administration here remains unaware of his life outside the campus.

Kumar said that Arif had been practising at the Cardiology department for the last three months, and nothing wrong was observed in his behaviour.

"Dr Arif is a first-year cardiology student. He took admission through counselling 2-3 months ago. He doesn't live on campus. He lives outside. At 7:00 in the evening, we were informed that a team had called him for questioning. He's from Kashmir. I have no knowledge of whether there was any such behaviour or any complaint before this; we are not aware of anything like this. We do not know with whom he lives. We have no idea who his roommate is. We do not know about anyone," CMS Kumar said.

Dr Shaheen Saeed was arrested earlier in connection with the Faridabad arms and explosive haul case.

A joint team of Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and Delhi Police on Thursday recovered a body part in New Lajpat Rai Market, near the blast site in the national capital, which claimed 12 lives.

- ANI