ED attaches Al Falah University assets, files charge sheet against chairman under PMLA

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday attached assets worth about Rs 140 crore of Haryana-based Al Falah University that came under the radar of the security agencies following the November 10 Red Fort area blast, and filed a charge sheet against Al Falah Group chairman Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui and his trust, officials said.

The 54-acres land of the university based in Dhauj area of Faridabad, the buildings of the university, those belonging to various schools and departments and hostels has been attached as part of a provisional order issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.

PTI had first reported early this week that the ED is going to attach these properties, owned by the Al Falah Trust, categorising them "proceeds of crime".

Siddiqui was arrested by the ED in November on money laundering charges linked to cheating with students of the educational institutions run by his trust. It was claimed by the agency that the educational institutes did not have the required valid accreditation for teaching.

A charge sheet has also been filed against Siddiqui and the Al Falah Trust before a special PMLA court. The two have been arraigned as accused and the ED has sought their prosecution under the anti-money laundering law, the officials said.

An attachment is done to under the PMLA to ensure that the proceeds of crime are not dissipated, sold off or transacted.

Officials had said that a government appointed receiver can be restituted or vested with the administration of the University campus after the provisional attachment attains finality. This way the education of the students will not suffer even as the criminal action and prosecution may continue, the officials had said.

The agency, while seeking the remand of Siddiqui in November from a court, had informed that the university and its controlling trust, under the direction of Siddiqui, generated "proceeds of crime" of at least Rs 415.10 crore by "dishonestly" inducing students and parents to part with money on the basis of false accreditation and recognition claims.

The university's role emerged during probe into a 'white-collar' terror module in which more than 10 people including three doctors, have been arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Jammu and Kashmir Police.

One of the doctors at the varsity-cum-hospital, Dr Umar-un-Nabi, is alleged to have become a suicide bomber while he was driving an explosive-laden car on November 10 that blasted outside Red Fort killing 15 people.