Faridabad/New Delhi, Nov 18: Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui, chairman of the Al Falah group, was arrested on Tuesday by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the Red Fort car blast that claimed 15 lives on November 10. Siddiqui faces charges under the criminal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and will be produced before a court for remand, officials confirmed.
The agency carried out coordinated searches at over 25 locations linked to the Al Falah Trust and Faridabad-based Al Falah University, including an office in Delhi’s Okhla area. Security was provided by local police and paramilitary forces during the operation. “Personnel handling finance and administrative matters of the Trust and university were specifically targeted,” an ED spokesperson said.
The searches, starting around 5:15 a.m., recovered Rs 48 lakh in cash. Officials noted that the probe focuses on the use of shell companies, accommodation entities, and suspected money-laundering practices by the Trust and related bodies.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Delhi Police have also filed first information reports in the case. To date, the NIA has arrested two individuals described as close aides of the alleged suicide bomber, Dr. Umar Nabi.
At least nine shell companies associated with the Al Falah group, all registered at a single address, are under ED scrutiny. The university in Dhouj, Faridabad district, Haryana, operates as both a medical college and hospital. Investigators are also examining the role of several doctors connected to the university and Kashmir in the blast.
