ED arrests Al Falah founder Jawad Siddiqui in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday arrested Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui, chairman of the Al-Falah group, in connection with its money laundering case linked to alleged fraudulent claims of accreditation and financial irregularities by the group’s flagship institutions.ED officials said the arrest followed detailed scrutiny of evidence collected during searches at university premises and other locations tied to the Al-Falah Group.

The ED probe was initiated after two FIRs by Delhi Police Crime Branch alleged that Al-Falah University made fraudulent NAAC accreditation claims and falsely projected itself as recognised under Section 12(B) of the UGC Act to mislead students and parents. Siddiqui, who has also been chancellor of Al-Falah University in Faridabad since 2014, was taken into custody under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after investigators examined material seized during search operations conducted earlier in the day.ED official said Siddiqui, who has been managing trustee of the Al-Falah Charitable Trust since 1995, exercised complete control over the trust and its network of educational institutions.

During searches at 19 locations in NCR on Tuesday, including the university and the residences of key personnel, the ED claimed to have uncovered evidence of large-scale fund diversion. The ED official said evidence of fund layering, diversion and recovery of cash established Siddiqui’s culpability, leading to his arrest.