Following the Delhi Red Fort blast on November 10, Al Falah University chairman and founder Javed Ahmed Siddiqui is reportedly under the Crime Branch, who has now been summoned for questioning over alleged fraud and accreditation violations flagged by both the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
The facility operates from within the university’s 70-acre campus in Faridabad’s Dhauj village. Its Delhi headquarters in Okhla was raided by a Crime Branch team on Saturday.
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Who is Javed Ahmed Siddiqui?
Originally from Madhya Pradesh and an alumnus of Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya in Indore, Siddiqui became the director of the Al Falah Investment Company in 1992. He later founded the Al Falah Trust.
The Indian Express reported that Siddiqui has been directed to appear with comprehensive documentation about the Al Falah Charitable Trust, the umbrella body under which nine organisations function, including the Al Falah Medical Research Foundation, where blast accused Umar Nabi and Muzammil Ganai were employed.
“He (Siddiqui) has been asked to submit documents relating to his firm, the trust, and all records concerning the university’s accreditation under the UGC. The notice has been issued under Section 12(B) of the UGC Act,” an officer told the IE.
The Crime Branch has already registered two FIRs after NAAC issued a notice to the university, stating that its accreditation had expired and seeking justification on why legal action should not be taken.
Al Falah University loses national membership amid probe into faculty terror links
Following the mounting regulatory pressure, the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) has suspended Al Falah University’s membership, pointing to the institution’s deteriorating “good standing”. AIU has also instructed the university to remove its name and logo from all platforms with immediate effect.
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Meanwhile, the Inter-State Cell of the Crime Branch is digging deeper into the alleged irregularities on the Al Falah campus. Investigators claim that Umar and Muzammil planned the terror attack while working inside the institution.
Notably, just a day after J&K Police carried out major raids in Faridabad, recovering 2,900 kg of explosives from a rented accommodation, Umar fled to Nuh in an explosives-laden Hyundai i20.
He returned to Delhi on November 10, and hours later, the car detonated outside the Red Fort, killing at least 10 people and triggering nationwide shock.
