New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Tuesday arrested Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui, managing trustee of Al-Falah Charitable Trust, in connection with a money laundering probe. The trust landed on the radar of authorities earlier this month after at least two doctors employed by the Al-Falah School of Medical Sciences & Research Centre in Faridabad were found to be part of a terror module. One of them, Dr Umar Nabi, was at the wheel of the white i20 that exploded near Red Fort on 10 November.
Siddiqui’s arrest, from Delhi, came hours after the investigative agency searched nearly 25 locations in Delhi-NCR, including the university premises in Faridabad, and the Delhi-based address of the Al-Falah Charitable Trust.
The ED’s case is based on two FIRs filed by Delhi Police Crime Branch based on show cause notices issued to the Al-Falah Charitable Trust by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) over alleged use of fabricated accreditation certificates on the university’s official website. “Al-Falah Charitable Trust was constituted by a public charitable trust deed dated 08.09.1995, with Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui named as one of the first trustees and designated as the Managing Trustee,” an agency source said.
Adding, “All the educational institutions (university and colleges) are ultimately owned and financially consolidated under this Trust, which is effectively controlled by Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui. The entire Al-Falah group has seen a meteoric rise since the 1990s metamorphosing into a large educational body. However, the rise is not backed by adequate financials.”
During searches conducted Tuesday, ED officials recovered more than Rs 48 lakh in cash, besides multiple digital devices and documentary evidence linked to several shell companies allegedly operated by Siddiqui.
“The role of Mr Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui in effectively controlling the Trust and its activities, has been brought out by multiple pieces of evidence. Exhaustive evidence including recovery of cash from trustees, diversion of funds to family concern, layering of funds etc. clearly establish pattern of generation and layering of proceeds of crime,” a second source said.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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