Al-Falah University (File photo)
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday accused Al-Falah University chancellor Javed Ahmed Siddiqui of “fraudulently acquiring land” in Delhi’s Madanpur Khadar by forging documents in the names of deceased Hindu landowners. According to the agency, land in Khasra No. 792 was transferred to the Tarbia Education Foundation, a trust linked to Siddiqui, on the basis of a forged General Power of Attorney (GPA). A General Power of Attorney (GPA) is a legal document that authorises one person to act, sign and make decisions on behalf of another in broad matters, including property and financial transactions.The ED said several landowners whose names appear on the documents had died between 1972 and 1998, yet a GPA dated January 7, 2004, was created in their names and later used to reregister the land.The agency has termed the transfer fraudulent and said the fake documents were the foundation of the acquisition. Siddiqui is currently in ED custody as the probe continues.The ED on November 18 arrested Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, the founder of Al Falah University, which came under scrutiny after the alleged involvement of three of its professors in a terror module behind the i20 car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort on November 10. Siddiqui, Chairman of Al Falah group, was arrested under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.The arrest took place after a detailed investigation and analysis of evidence gathered during search action conducted at premises related to Al Falah group in the ongoing probe in an ECIR recorded by the ED under PMLA in connection with the Al Falah Group.The prime accused, Dr Umar Un Nabi, was a former student of the university located in Haryana’s Faridabad.The arrest comes, hours after the ED launched raids against the Al-Falah University along with its office in Okhla and the university’s promoters as initial probe had revealed discrepancies regarding UGC and NAAC recognition.The central agency conducted raids at 25 different places across the national capital, intensifying the Delhi car blast probe. Nine shell firms connected to the group, each registered at the same address, are now under scrutiny.What triggered the probe?ED initiated investigation against Al Falah group on the basis of 2 FIRs registered by the Crime Branch, Delhi Police, based on the allegations that Al-Falah University, Faridabad, has made fraudulent and misleading claims of NAAC accreditation with an intention to deceive students, parents, and stakeholders for wrongful gain.It has been further mentioned in FIR that Al-Falah University, Faridabad, has falsely claimed UGC recognition under Section 12(B) of the UGC Act, 1956 with oblique motive to cheat the aspirants, students, parents, guardians, stakeholders and general public to gain wrongfully and cause wrongful loss to them.The UGC clarified that Al-Falah University is included only under Section 2(f) as a State Private University, has never applied for inclusion under Section 12(B), and is not eligible for grants under that provision.
