FARIDABAD: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its investigation into the Al-Falah Group and Trust, exposing large-scale land and financial fraud allegedly orchestrated by its chairman, Javed Ahmed Siddiqui. The probe comes in the wake of the November 10 Red Fort car blast in Delhi, in which three doctors associated with Al-Falah University are accused of detonating a car loaded with chemical explosives, killing 15 people and injuring several others.
The ED has revealed that Siddiqui acquired multiple land parcels in southeast Delhi’s Madanpur Khadar by forging General Power of Attorney (GPA) documents in the names of deceased landowners. Land in Khasra No. 792 was allegedly transferred to the Tarbia Education Foundation, a trust linked to Siddiqui, based on a GPA dated January 7, 2004, even though several of the named landowners had died decades prior. The deceased individuals included:
- Nathu – died 1972
- Harbans Singh – died 1991
- Harkesh – died 1993
- Shiv Dayal – died 1998
- Jai Ram – died 1998
According to the ED, a registered sale deed was subsequently prepared on June 27, 2013, nine years after the fraudulent GPA was created, showing the sale of the land worth Rs 75 lakh to the Tarbia Education Foundation. The agency believes Siddiqui and his trust were the ultimate beneficiaries of this scheme. Investigators are now probing the individuals involved in orchestrating the forgeries and facilitating the property transfers.
Siddiqui, the founder and chancellor of Al-Falah University in Faridabad, Haryana, was arrested by the ED on November 18 under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), following coordinated raids across the group’s offices and educational institutions. The arrests followed evidence suggesting that the university systematically cheated students and their families.
The ED has claimed that Siddiqui dishonestly generated over Rs 415 crore from students enrolled in institutions under his trust, exploiting students’ trust in the university and allegedly misrepresenting its accreditations. Investigators allege Siddiqui exercised “command” over staff handling admission registers, fee ledgers, accounts, and IT systems, giving him the ability to manipulate or destroy records.
“The role of Siddiqui in effectively controlling the trust and its activities has been brought out by multiple pieces of evidence,” an ED official said. “Exhaustive evidence, including recovery of cash from trustees, diversion of funds to family concerns, and systematic layering of proceeds of crime, clearly establishes the pattern of generation and laundering of these illicit funds.”
The ED is now in the process of identifying and valuing movable and immovable assets of the Al-Falah Group across the country, as well as tracing allegedly diverted funds abroad. Under anti-money laundering laws, the agency may attach these properties to recover proceeds of crime.
The investigation into the Al-Falah Group has been further complicated by its alleged connection to the November 10 Red Fort car blast. The prime accused, Dr. Umar Un Nabi, was reportedly a former student of Al-Falah University, which had earlier claimed unverified accreditations from NAAC and UGC. This raised concerns over possible links between the financial misconduct of the university and radicalisation of its students.
ED sources have referred to the unfolding investigation as exposing a potential “white-collar terror module,” linking money laundering, educational fraud, and terror-related activities. Coordinated raids were conducted at 25 locations, including the university’s main campus in Faridabad and its Okhla office, as well as nine shell companies registered at the same address, all of which are under detailed scrutiny.
The probe also revealed serious misrepresentations regarding the university’s accreditation. FIRs filed by Delhi Police’s Crime Branch allege that Al-Falah University falsely claimed NAAC accreditation and UGC recognition under Section 12(B) of the UGC Act, 1956, with the intent to deceive students, parents, and stakeholders for wrongful gain.
The UGC clarified that Al-Falah University is recognised only under Section 2(f) as a State Private University and has never applied for Section 12(B) recognition, making it ineligible for grants under the provision. Investigators say this deliberate misrepresentation enabled Siddiqui and the trust to collect large sums from students while circumventing regulatory oversight.
The ED has identified at least five instances where GPAs were allegedly forged for acquiring land parcels, including names of deceased individuals. Investigators also discovered layering of funds, diversion to family entities, and control over shell companies as part of a larger money-laundering network.
“The combination of fraudulent property acquisitions, siphoning of student funds, and potential terror links represents one of the most serious cases of systemic educational and financial malpractice in recent years,” an ED official said.
