Enforcement Directorate Attaches Assets of Al Falah University Worth Rs 140 Crore
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken action against Haryana-based Al Falah University by attaching assets worth about Rs 140 crore. This move comes after the university came under scrutiny following the November 10 Red Fort area blast. A charge sheet has been filed against Al Falah Group chairman Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui and his trust, as per officials.
The ED has provisionally attached the 54-acre land of the university located in the Dhauj area of Faridabad, along with the university buildings, school buildings, departments, and hostels. This action has been taken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Earlier reports had indicated that the ED would attach these properties, owned by the Al Falah Trust, on the grounds of being “proceeds of crime.”
Siddiqui was arrested by the ED in November on charges of money laundering related to cheating students of the educational institutions under his trust. The agency alleged that the educational institutes lacked the necessary valid accreditation.
A charge sheet has been filed against Siddiqui and the Al Falah Trust in a special PMLA court. Both have been named as accused, and the ED is seeking their prosecution under the anti-money laundering law.
Asset attachment under the PMLA is aimed at preventing the dissipation or sale of proceeds of crime.
Government-appointed receivers may take control of the university campus once the provisional attachment is finalized. This measure ensures that students’ education is not disrupted while criminal proceedings continue.
The ED revealed during Siddiqui’s remand hearing in November that the university and its trust, under Siddiqui’s direction, had dishonestly amassed proceeds of crime amounting to at least Rs 415.10 crore. This was achieved by deceiving students and parents with false accreditation and recognition claims.
The university’s involvement surfaced during an investigation into a ‘white-collar’ terror module, resulting in the arrest of over 10 individuals, including three doctors, by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Dr. Umar-un-Nabi, a doctor at the university-cum-hospital, is alleged to have carried out a suicide bombing on November 10 outside the Red Fort, using an explosive-laden car that claimed the lives of 15 people.
