The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday arrested Al Falah Group chairman Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui for money laundering after conducting searches on 18 locations, including the Al Falah University and residences of key stakeholders. He was booked under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 Section 19.
The authorities are probing if the money was diverted to fund terror activities, including the Faridabad module, which is behind the Delhi blast on November 10.
Two FIRs were registered by the Delhi Police Crime Branch based on the allegations that Al Falah University in Dhauj, Faridabad, has falsely claimed that it has NAAC accreditation and UGC recognition. Both claims were made in order to mislead aspirants, students, parents, guardians, stakeholders and general public for wrongful gain.
The UGC had earlier clarified that Al Falah University is included only under Section 2(f) as a State Private University, adding that it has never applied for inclusion under Section 12(B), and is not eligible for grants under that provision.
The Al Falah Charitable Trust was set up by a public charitable trust deed on September 8, 1995, with Siddiqui as one of the first trustees and designated as the managing trustee. The university and the medical college in Dhauj as well as other institutions are owned and financially consolidated under this trust under Siddiqui's control.
A probe by the ED has revealed that large amounts of money has been generated fraudulently and crores of rupees were channelled by the trust to family owned entities. The trust allotted the construction and catering contracts of the Al Falah institutions to entities belonging to Siddiqui's wife and children.
The agency also seized over Rs 48 lakh in cash, multiple digital devices and documentary evidence during the raid. They have also identified multiple shell companies of Al Falah group and found several other violations. |
