NEW DELHI, Nov 18: Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, the founder of Al-Falah University – the epicentre of “Faridabad terror module” allegedly behind the Delhi blast, was on Tuesday arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a terror financing-linked money laundering case.
The probe agency investigation follows two FIRs filed recently by the Delhi Police Crime Branch against Al-Falah University, including cases related to cheating and alleged forgery concerning accreditation documents. The university in Faridabad’s Dhouj has come under scrutiny after the arrest of several doctors in connection with the November 10 blast near Delhi’s Red Fort. The suicide bomber in the Delhi blast Umar Un Nabi was also associated with the university besides other doctors in the module.
The arrest follows a detailed investigation and analysis of evidence gathered during the search action conducted at university premises in connection with the Al-Falah Group, the central agency said in a statement. The probe agency conducted search operations at 19 locations in Delhi.
The blast followed after the authorities recently busted the ‘white-collar’ terror module linked to terror outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, spanning Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The investigation led to the seizure of around 2,900 kg of explosive material from two rented rooms in Faridabad, and the arrest/detention of several individuals, including doctors connected to the Al Falah University, and a cleric linked to a mosque in Faridabad.
The probe agency is examining alleged violations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), including possible diversion of funds and suspicious financial transactions routed through entities associated with the university. “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,” the probe agency, which investigates financial crimes, said.
(Manas Dasgupta)