The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday arrested Javed Ahmed Siddiqui, the founder and managing trustee of Al Falah University, in connection with a money laundering investigation. The arrest was made under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Al Falah University came under scrutiny after the busting of a “white collar terror module” and the November 10 blast near Delhi’s Red Fort that killed fifteen people. The ED said the arrest followed detailed examination of material collected during searches at locations linked to the Al Falah group.
The investigation began after two FIRs filed by the Delhi Police Crime Branch. The FIRs alleged that Al Falah University falsely claimed NAAC accreditation in order to mislead students, parents and other stakeholders. It was also alleged that the institution wrongfully claimed recognition under Section 12B of the UGC Act with the intention to cheat aspirants and parents.
Two individuals linked to the university, Dr Muzammil Ganaie and Dr Shaheen Sayeed, were earlier arrested in connection with the “white collar terror module”.
Dr Umar Nabi, who died when a Hyundai i20 exploded near the Red Fort last week, was also an assistant professor at the university.
The ED’s probe into the financial affairs of the Al Falah group is continuing.
