New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday arrested Javed Ahmed Siddiqui, founder and managing trustee of Al-Falah University, in connection with a money laundering case that has now widened to include possible terror financing links.
The arrest follows extensive raids at 19 locations associated with the Al-Falah Group, during which investigators seized crucial documents, digital devices, and nearly ₹48 lakh in cash.
Siddiqui, born on November 15, 1964, in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, began his career as a lecturer at Jamia Millia Islamia after completing his B.Tech from Devi Ahilya University, Indore. In 1995, he established the Al-Falah Charitable Trust, which operates the Faridabad-based university and several educational institutions. Investigators allege that Siddiqui appointed family members as trustees and diverted trust funds to shell companies owned by his wife and children through inflated contracts in construction, catering, and other services.
The ED suspects that the meteoric rise of the trust and its ventures does not align with legitimate income sources.
This scrutiny intensified after the Delhi blast probe revealed links between the university and individuals under investigation for terror activities. Siddiqui had previously been summoned in connection with the blast case but failed to appear.
Authorities are now examining whether funds siphoned through fraudulent means were used to finance extremist networks. Siddiqui also faces allegations of large-scale financial fraud, raising questions about the source of capital behind the sprawling university campus.