As part of its money laundering probe against Al Falah University chairman Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached Rs 139 crore assets, including a 54-acre land within the Al Falah University campus.
The ED filed a chargesheet regarding this on Friday, listing evidence of alleged financial irregularities by Siddiqui and his family members in the university and the family-run Al Falah Charitable Trust.
Siddiqui is linked to as many as nine firms, all of which have connections to Al-Falah Charitable Trust, which oversees the functioning of the university. ED discovered that the firms controlled by Siddiqui allegedly won the contracts for catering in the university hostels and construction of the buildings on the campus.
The charitable trust also allegedly siphoned university funds to acquire land.
The money laundering case is linked to a large investigation into the Faridabad white collar terror module, comprising doctors who were working or studying at Al Falah University. Dr Muzammil Shakeel and Dr Shaheen Shahid who worked at Al Falah University were arrested hours before the Delhi Red Fort blast on November 10. Dr Umar un Nabi, who carried out the Red Fort blast, studied the same institution.
On November 18, Siddiqui was arrested after ED raided 18 locations, including the university in Faridabad and the residences of those linked to the Al Falah Group in Delhi.
The probe began after ED found the university cheated people of Rs 415 crore that was gained wrongfully by misleading students and the public in the name of fake UGC recognition and NAAC accreditation. The agency suspects that the financial trail may lead to destinations abroad, including Gulf countries.
Interestingly, Siddiqui was arrested in 2001 in connection with setting up fake investment firms and convincing people to deposit money. Around Rs 7.5 crore was diverted to the personal accounts of the accused. In 2004, he managed to get bail after agreeing to refund the victims.