Chairman of the tainted Al Falah University in Faridabad, Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, was arrested by the Delhi Police Crime Branch in connection with a financial fraud case on Wednesday (4th February). Siddiqui was produced before a Delhi court, which sent him to four-day police custody.
Siddiqui’s arrest follows action by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the complaint filed by the University Grants Commission (UGC). Based on the UGC’s complaint, the Crime Branch had registered two separate FIRs against Siddiqui, accusing him of fraud and related offences.
On 16th January, the ED filed the chargesheet against Siddiqui and Al Falah Charitable Trust in a money laundering case. A Delhi court listed the hearing of arguments for the consideration of the ED’s chargesheet to 13th February. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sheetal Chaudhary Pradhan listed the matter for consideration after hearing submissions of Siddiqui’s counsel, who sought time for scrutiny of documents filed along with the chargesheet.
According to the ED, the investigation was initiated based on two FIRs lodged by the Delhi Police Crime Branch. The FIRs reportedly alleged that the university falsely claimed accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). The ED informed the court that it provisionally attached assets as part of its probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Moreover, the agency said that the university’s claims of regulatory recognition were fabricated to mislead students and parents into taking admissions and to collect fees through misrepresentation. The court noted the analysis of the ED, which indicated that the funds collected by the university during the relevant period were apparently linked to the alleged misrepresentations and therefore they were brought under the ambit of proceeds of crime under the PMLA.
In addition to that, cash, digital devices, and financial records were recovered by the ED during searches at multiple locations. The ED told the court that some contracts were diverted to entities linked to Siddiqui’s family. Senior officials of the agency confirmed Siddiqui’s role in approving major financial decisions. Besides, the layering of funds through related entities to obscure the money trail was also found by the agency.
Terror links of Al Falah University
Al Falah University’s terror links came to light during the investigation of the Red Fort blast that happened last year on 10th November. Investigating agencies found that Dr Umar Nabi, who carried out the Red Fort blast, which claimed 13 lives, was employed at the university. His two associates, Dr Muzammil Shakeel and Dr Shaheen Shahid, who also worked at the university, were found linked to a cross-border terror module having connections with Pakistan-based terror outfits.
Notably, another terror accused associated with the varsity was involved in a series of blasts that happened in 2007 and 2008 across various Indian states. The terror accused Mirza Shadab Baig, who was the main accused in the 2008 serial bombings in Delhi and Ahmedabad, is an alumnus of Al Falah University. He completed his B.Tech. in Electronics and Instrumentation from the Al Falah Engineering College, Faridabad, Haryana, in 2007.
