A Delhi court sent Al Falah University founder and chairperson, Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, to 13 days of Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody on Wednesday. The ED alleged he “dishonestly” amassed over Rs 415 crore and posed a flight risk due to his family’s ties in Gulf countries.
Siddiqui was arrested late Tuesday night after the ED carried out searches throughout the day at places linked to the Al Falah group in Faridabad. The group is also being investigated in connection with the November 10 blast near the Red Fort that killed over a dozen people and injured several others. He was taken to Additional Sessions Judge Sheetal Chaudhary Pradhan’s residence around 1 am. The ED asked for 14 days’ custody, and the court granted 13 days, till December 1.
Charges against Siddiqui
In its remand request, the ED told the court that Siddiqui had “significant financial resources and influence” and that his family being in the Gulf gave him clear “incentives to flee India”.
According to the ED, Siddiqui and the Al Falah charitable trust – under his control -generated Rs 415.10 crore in illegal money by misleading students and parents with false claims about NAAC accreditation and UGC recognition.
“The accused has a history of serious economic offences. Given the gravity of the present allegations and the potential consequences under PMLA, there is reasonable apprehension that if not arrested he may abscond, relocate assets, or obstruct the investigation,” the agency told the court.
Forgery and fake accreditation claims
The ED is acting on two FIRs filed by the Delhi Police Crime Branch, which accuse Al Falah University of faking accreditation documents to attract students.
ED lawyers Simon Benjamin and Tuhina Mishra said the university forged NAAC and UGC documents, which allowed it to keep admitting students and collecting money “at the cost of their trust, future, and legitimate expectations”.
The ED also said the trust collected more than ₹400 crore in fees through these false claims and then diverted the money for Siddiqui’s personal use.
ED says he could tamper with records
The agency argued that Siddiqui had “command” over employees who handled admissions, accounts, fee records and IT systems, which means he could “destroy or alter records”.
The ED added that it had not yet traced the full money trail across many bank accounts and that it still needed to follow benami deposits and assets kept off the books.
“The entire Al Falah educational ecosystem is controlled by him, and only a portion of the Rs 415.10 crore proceeds of crime has been identified so far,” the agency said.
The ED said the Al Falah group has shown a “meteoric rise” since the 1990s and has become a big educational network, even though its financial records do not match the wealth it has built.
Siddiqui’s lawyer denies ED claims
Siddiqui’s lawyer said he was wrongly accused and that the Delhi Police FIRs were based on made-up allegations. The court, however, noted that the investigation is still at a “nascent stage” and that the charges are serious, so custody was necessary.
Siddiqui will stay in ED custody until December 1 as the agency continues to investigate alleged large-scale financial fraud and fake accreditation linked to the university.
