ED flags ₹415cr ‘proceeds of crime’ in Al-Falah case

A Delhi court on Wednesday sent Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, chairman of Faridabad-based Al-Falah University, to 13 days of Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody, observing that the money-laundering investigation against him was at a “nascent stage” and that the allegations carried “significant gravit

- Sanjeev K Jha and Arnabjit Sur

In its remand note placed before the court on Wednesday, ED has alleged that Siddiqui generated more than ₹415 crore through sustained misrepresentation of the institution's accreditation and statutory status, layering the funds through family-linked entities and exercising complete control over financial decisions across the group.

ED said its probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) stemmed from two predicate FIRs registered by the Delhi Police Crime Branch on November 13. The first FIR accuses Al-Falah University of projecting expired NAAC accreditations as valid, despite not applying for renewal. The second alleges that the institution fabricated claims of recognition under Section 12(B) of the UGC Act-even though it was approved only under Section 2(f) and was never entitled to receive government grants under the cited provision.