Was Javed Ahmed Siddiqui, owner of Al Falah University in Faridabad, planning to flee the country to a Gulf nation?
Such a possibility is emerging after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) took him into 13-day custody. The ED preliminarily estimates that fraud worth over 400 crore rupees was committed. Meanwhile, intelligence agencies have intensified their search for at least 10 students and teachers from Al Falah. Among them, at least three are residents of Kashmir. The phones of these 10 individuals are switched off, and they could not be found at their home addresses either.
By showing fake accreditation (NAAC) and recognition (UGC) and simply fooling students and their families, Al Falah collected a total of 415.10 crore rupees from the 2014-'15 financial year to 2024-'25, according to preliminary ED findings. A forensic examination of the institution's income tax returns during this period revealed a specific pattern. Al Falah School of Engineering and Technology, Al Falah School of Education and Training, Al Falah University, and Al Falah Charitable Trust — all of these were operated using a single PAN number.
It was found that Al Falah's earnings increased regularly every year. Where 30.89 crore rupees in income was shown in the 2014-'15 financial year, it reached 80.10 crore rupees in the 2024-'25 financial year. A consistent increase in income was seen during the intervening years.
The ED has already filed two FIRs with the Delhi Police for fraud in the name of 'NAAC' and 'UGC'. However, investigators' attention has focused most on Al Falah University's earnings. This is because a large portion of the earnings was shown under voluntary contributions and educational receipts. The ED's statement in court is that what has been found so far is just the tip of the iceberg. This is because an investigation into the university's fee structure, fund transfers from one account to another, or benami funds is still pending. Investigators estimate that the total amount of money involved will be enormous.
Intelligence agencies have also started thinking anew after receiving this information from the ED. This is because they have already learned that for a long time, the 'Doctors Module' led by Shaheen Shahid used to arrange students for Al Falah University. Intelligence agencies have learned that at one point, Shaheen became the university's star recruiter. According to sources, it was found upon investigation that Shaheen had brought students from many poor families and got them admitted to Al Falah. It has been preliminarily learned that the total cost of studying medicine at Al Falah is approximately 75 lakh rupees. Where this huge amount of money came from for students from those poor families is now under the intelligence agencies' scrutiny.
Was money supplied through indirect channels to nurture the terror breeding ground that was created on Al Falah's campus? And did the authorities have direct contact with it? Otherwise, why was this university being run without any legitimacy in this manner, and why did crores of rupees regularly come there? Various questions now surround the Al Falah campus.
