A city court on Wednesday sent Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, the founder of Al Falah University, to Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody for 13 days. The agency alleged that the university and its controlling entities generated over `415 crore in proceeds of crime through deception and misrepresentation regarding their academic status.
“Considering the gravity of the offence and that the investigation is at a nascent stage. I deem it appropriate that the accused is granted Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody remand for a period of 13 days till December 1,” the court noted. The ED had sought a 14-day custody.
In its remand paper, the ED has alleged that the Al-Falah University falsely claimed that it is a UGC recognised university and misrepresented its NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) accreditation status. NAAC is an autonomous body funded by the University Grants Commission (UGC) of India that assesses and accredits higher education institutions in the country.
The agency claimed, “Al-Falah group has seen a meteoric rise since the 1990s, metamorphosing into a large educational body. However, the financials of the various entities are at variance with the huge amount of assets accumulated by the group.” The agency further alleged that Siddiqui had “incentives” to flee India as his close family members are settled in the Gulf. The ED claimed that Siddiqui’s arrest was necessary due to apprehensions that he would abscond and not cooperate.
