Fakhr-e-alam was quiet and machine-loving student: teacher

FAKHR-E-ALAM, ONE of seven men arrested by Uttar Pradesh’s Anti-terrorist Squad (ATS) earlier this week for suspected IS links, was described by his teachers at the Chandigarh college as an “average” student who had three supplementaries but had a great love for machines.

In the final year of his mechanical engineering course at Chandigarh Group of College’s Jhanjeri campus, Alam was part of a college team that had made a smart wheelchair that was displayed on National Science Day held on campus.

The teachers who taught Alam expressed surprise at the turn of events. They described Alam as a “quiet” student who participated in several projects.

Speaking to The Indian Express, one of Alam’s teachers, said he did not miss classes and was regular at his studies.

“He used to spend most of his time with machines in the lab. He once told me he loved machines. Whenever we used to discuss any new project, he readily took the initiative to implement it. He was also a member of the team that had designed a smart wheelchair which was displayed at a function held at the college on February 28,” the teacher said.

Another teacher who also taught Alam said he never saw him arguing with anyone. But Alam was an average student, he said, with three supplementaries from his second, fourth and fifth semester.

Rajneesh Talwar, the college principal, said Alam had finished the academic portion of his studies at the college and left after the completion of the fifth semester for the sixth semester internship.

Alam was not a hosteler. He had given a Sector 31 D address in Chandigarh in his University records. The address is in an Air Force housing colony. This is the placewherehiseldersisterandher husband,whoiswiththeairforce, wereliving.butuniversityauthorities were not clear if Alam was a residenttherethroughhisyearsat the college. He was picked up by the UP ATS along with his elder brotherfaizalamonmarch7from his home in Etwah.

Fakhr-e-alam