'9 shell companies, 25 premises'- ED crackdown on Al-Falah university, week after Delhi blast

The Enforcement Directorate conducted raids on Tuesday at Faridabad's Al-Falah University, which, sources said, has emerged as an epicentre of a terror module that carried out a blast in the national capital last Monday.

The action taken by the agency also covered the Al-Falah charitable trust and its trustee Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui, founder of the university running a medical college where doctors accused of running terror modules were employed. Umar un Nabi, the alleged bomber from Kashmir, was among this group of doctors.

"In a coordinated enforcement operation at 5:15 am, officials executed search actions at more than 25 premises connected with the Al-Falah group in Delhi NCR. The operation forms part of an ongoing investigation into financial irregularities, use of shell companies, accommodation entities and money laundering," said an ED source.

The role of Al-Falah Trust and related entities was under investigation, the source said and added that nine shell companies linked to the group, all registered at a single address, were under scanner.

"Prima facie discrepancies have been noted in claims regarding University Grants Commission and National Assessment and Accreditation Council recognition," the source said.

The agency's investigation is based on FIRs lodged by the Delhi Police relating to cheating and forgery, pointed out by the NAAC. Last week, the Council had issued a show-cause notice to the Al-Falah University for displaying fake accreditation on the university's website. It was "misleading", the Council said, and against its norms.

The Centre had asked the ED to assess and analyze the structure of funding of the university and its affiliated colleges following which it registered a case to initiate a formal probe.

Preliminary findings by the state police forces have suggested that a conspiracy for making an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) as well as to carry out an attack was hatched at the premises of the Al Falah School of Medical Sciences and Research Centre.

ThePrint had reported that Al-Falah Charitable Trust trustee Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui and his brother Hamood Sidiqqui have long been accused of financial misappropriation and fraud in the name of investment. His brother Hamood was arrested in Hyderabad by Indore Rural District police on Sunday.