New Delhi (Rajeev Sharma): The Enforcement Directorate has secured 13 days of custodial interrogation of Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui, the chairman of the Al-Falah group, in connection with its investigation into alleged money laundering linked to the Al Falah Charitable Trust.
Siddiqui was detained late Tuesday evening under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and brought before a Delhi court shortly afterward. Additional Sessions Judge Sheetal Chaudhary Pradhan approved the ED’s request for extended custody in an order passed just after 1 a.m. on Wednesday.
Officials say the arrest came after investigators analysed material unearthed during extensive searches earlier in the day at properties associated with the group. The current probe is based on an ECIR initiated by the agency following two FIRs filed by the Delhi Police Crime Branch. These complaints accuse Al Falah University in Faridabad of falsely presenting itself as NAAC-accredited and misrepresenting its status under the University Grants Commission Act to draw students and parents under misleading pretences.
The UGC has clarified that while the university is listed as a state private institution under Section 2(f), it has never qualified for or applied to be included under Section 12(B)—a designation that allows universities to receive central grants.
The Al Falah Charitable Trust, formed in 1995, is central to the ownership and financial management of the educational institutions under the Al-Falah umbrella. Siddiqui, identified as a founding trustee and managing authority, is believed to exercise effective control over the trust’s operations. Despite its growth into a substantial educational entity over the past three decades, investigators say the group’s financial underpinnings are weak and riddled with inconsistencies.
In Tuesday’s raids, the ED searched 25 sites across Delhi, including university offices and private residences. Officials report recovering ₹48 lakh in cash, digital devices, and a large cache of records. Investigators say preliminary findings indicate “systematic diversion of funds,” including contracts allegedly steered toward companies run by Siddiqui’s wife and children. Several shell entities with suspected links to the group have also been flagged.
The agency maintains that the documents and data collected demonstrate a pattern of fund layering and misappropriation, pointing to the creation of significant “proceeds of crime.” Siddiqui’s alleged central role in these activities formed the basis of his arrest, the ED stated.
He will remain in ED custody until December 1 as investigators continue to examine financial trails, cross-check seized evidence, and question individuals associated with the trust and the university. Further arrests and searches have not been ruled out as the probe expands.
