ED arrests Al-Falah Chairman

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday said it has arrested Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, chairman of Al Falah group, in a money laundering case.

- TDG NETWORK

Siddiqui has been arrested under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. He was arrested following a detailed investigation and analysis of evidence gathered during a search conducted earlier on Tuesday at premises related to the Al Falah group, as part of the ongoing Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) recorded by the ED under PMLA in connection with the Al Falah Group.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its probe into Al-Falah University by expanding it to the financial operations of the Al-Falah Trust, its associated firms, and the personnel managing the institution's administrative and financial systems.

The Al Falah University has come under scrutiny after the arrest of several doctors in connection with the November 10 blast near Delhi's Red Fort, which killed 15 people and injured many others. The suicide bomber, Dr Umar Un Nabi, a Kashmiri resident, was associated with the varsity.

ED initiated an investigation against the Al Falah group on the basis of two FIRs registered by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police, based on the allegations that Faridabad-based Al-Falah University has made fraudulent and misleading claims of National Assessment Accreditation Council (NAAC) accreditation with an intention to deceive students, parents, and stakeholders for wrongful gain.

It has been further mentioned in FIR that Al-Falah University has falsely claimed University Grants Commission (UGC) recognition under Section 12(B) of the UGC Act, 1956, with an oblique motive to cheat the aspirants, students, parents, guardians, stakeholders and general public to gain wrongfully and cause wrongful loss to them.

The UGC clarified that Al-Falah University is included only under Section 2(f) as a State Private University, has never applied for inclusion under Section 12(B), and is not eligible for grants under that provision.