Post by : Rameen Ariff

New Delhi: The investigation into the Delhi Red Fort car blast has widened, now examining the corporate network of Javed Ahmed Siddiqui, founder and managing trustee of Al-Falah University in Faridabad. Two of the main suspects in the blast—Dr Shaheen Saeed and Dr Mujammil Shakeel—were employed at the university, prompting closer scrutiny of its operations and funding.

Siddiqui, originally from Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, is connected to nine registered companies, all operating under the Al-Falah Charitable Trust that governs the university. The companies span education, software, financial services, and energy sectors, and most share a single registered address at Al-Falah House in Delhi's Jamia Nagar neighborhood.

The nine firms include:

1. Al-Falah Investment (est. 1992)
2. Al-Falah Medical Research Foundation
3. Al-Falah Developers Pvt Ltd
4. Al-Falah Industrial Research Foundation
5. Al-Falah Education Service Pvt Ltd
6. MJH Developers Pvt Ltd
7. Al-Falah Software Pvt Ltd
8. Al-Falah Energies Pvt Ltd
9. Tarbia Education Foundation

Most of these companies became inactive after 2019, except for the Al-Falah Medical Research Foundation, which operates a 78-acre campus and is currently under scrutiny by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

Siddiqui’s past legal troubles have also resurfaced. He was previously accused, along with an associate, of cheating investors and diverting Rs 7.5 crore through fraudulent deposit schemes under the Al-Falah group. Arrested in 2001, he spent years in legal battles, including a Delhi High Court bail rejection in 2003. Siddiqui eventually secured bail in 2004 after agreeing to refund defrauded investors.

The Al-Falah group’s connection to the Red Fort blast adds to the investigation’s gravity. The deadly attack, carried out using a Hyundai i20 loaded with explosives, killed 13 people. Authorities have uncovered evidence suggesting a larger plan involving 32 vehicles in a multi-target serial bomb attack across Delhi, allegedly orchestrated as revenge for the Babri Masjid demolition. The operation is linked to the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed.

While Siddiqui’s corporate network and the university’s administration are now under investigation, Al-Falah University has maintained that it had no involvement with the accused faculty members’ criminal activities. The institution has reiterated its commitment to national security and lawful operations.

The unfolding investigation highlights concerns over how educational institutions could inadvertently provide cover for illicit activities and raises questions about regulatory oversight for corporate and charitable trusts.

#world news #Global News