New Delhi

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has significantly intensified its probe into Al-Falah University by expanding the investigation to the financial operations of the Al-Falah Trust, its associated firms, and personnel managing the institution's administrative and monetary systems.

 

The Al Falah University has come under scrutiny after the arrest of several doctors in connection with the November 10 blast near Delhi's Red Fort, which killed 15 people and injured many others. The suicide bomber, Dr Umar Un Nabi, a Kashmiri resident, was associated with the varsity.

 

Officials close to the investigation told ANI that the financial probe agency registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) earlier this week and followed it with a series of pre-dawn raids at 25 locations linked to the university, its trustees and related entities across Delhi, Haryana and the National Capital Region (NCR) on Tuesday.

 

"The operation forms part of an ongoing investigation into financial irregularities, use of shell companies, accommodation entities and money laundering. The role of the Al-Falah Trust and its financial managers is now at the centre of the ED's inquiry," the sources said as the ED team is busy conducting its searches at the 25 locations since 5 am.

 

The ED teams have also learnt to have covered "individuals responsible for handling the university's finances, administrative flows, and documentation, after preliminary findings flagged irregular patterns across multiple entities tied to the group."

 

A cluster of nine shell companies registered at the same address has also drawn the agency's attention, and the investigators believe these entities were created to route funds or obscure beneficial ownership.

 

"Nine shell companies linked to the Al-Falah group, all registered at a single address, are under examination," said the officials.

 

They confirmed that early examination has revealed several red flags consistent with shell-company behaviour, including "no physical presence or evidence of utilities at their declared business premises; common mobile numbers and email IDs being used across multiple companies, accounts and filings; no EPFO or ESIC compliance, inconsistent with reported operational scale; overlapping directors and signatories, with weak KYC trails; minimal salary disbursal through formal channels and absence of HR records; and synchronized dates of incorporation and identical contact details across firms."

 

Officials have also noted prima facie discrepancies in claims made regarding University Grants Commission (UGC) and National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) recognition, prompting the ED to coordinate with the concerned regulatory authorities to verify the authenticity of documents submitted by the university and its trusts.

 

The financial probe runs parallel to wider scrutiny faced by Al-Falah University after recent multi-agency investigations examined certain doctors affiliated with its medical college for alleged links to suspects in the deadly Delhi car blast case.

 

The suicide bombing left 15 dead and over two dozen injured when the blast occurred in a moving Hyundai i20 car near the iconic Red Fort at around 7 PM on November 10.

 

While the university has denied institutional wrongdoing and has distanced itself from individuals under probe, the series of FIRs and regulatory notices has led to a broader look into its governance and financial structures.

 

Officials in the ED indicated that the investigation is ongoing, and further summons and examinations will follow once seized digital records, financial ledgers and corporate filings are analysed.

 

The financial probe agency is examining alleged violations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), including possible diversion of funds and suspicious financial transactions routed through entities associated with the university.

 

Sources said the ED is looking into fund flow patterns, income declarations, and payments made through shell or related entities, as indicated in preliminary findings that led to the ECIR.

 

This is ED's first action in the Delhi blast case, when Al-Falah University is already under the scanner of multiple agencies. The NIA and local police units had earlier questioned several doctors affiliated with the university's medical college to verify alleged contacts with suspects in the recent Delhi blast case.

 

The ED investigation follows two FIRs filed recently by the Delhi Police Crime Branch against Al-Falah University, including cases related to cheating and alleged forgery concerning accreditation documents.

 

The ECIR registered by the ED is understood to be linked to these FIRs, enabling the financial probe agency to examine whether the alleged criminal conduct resulted in proceeds of crime under PMLA.

 

Sources indicated that documents, digital records and financial ledgers can be seized during the massive searches being carried out by the ED to examine evidence of money laundering or fund misuse.

 

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Further summons and questioning of trustees or associated staff may follow once the agency has analysed the material recovered.