Authorities deepen probes into Al Falah after Red Fort blast links emerge.
Authorities review documents and records at Al Falah University in Faridabad amid ongoing investigations linked to the Red Fort blast and regulatory scrutiny (Photo: X | @PrahaladCha)
NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other security bodies are intensifying their scrutiny of Al Falah University after receiving multiple inputs that repeatedly directed investigators toward the institution. The university, located in Dhauj village of Faridabad, entered the spotlight following the fatal terror attack near Delhi's Red Fort, particularly after the prime suspect, Umar, was found to have links with the university.
Al Falah University has now drawn the attention of several central enforcement and intelligence units, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED). According to official sources, the government has ordered a forensic examination of the university's financial and administrative records, a process that is likely to be undertaken by the ED. This development comes in the wake of a high-level meeting chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah, during which an extensive review of the November 10 blast investigation was conducted. The explosion, which claimed 13 lives and left several others injured, has prompted an intensive probe.
"An order has been issued to carry out a forensic audit of all records of Al Falah University. The ED and other financial agencies have also been directed by the government to trace and verify the financial transactions and money trail associated with the university," sources confirmed.
A key component of the investigation involves analyzing the university's funding patterns. Although representatives of Al Falah University maintain that the institution operates on a charitable model, the ED will specifically probe the authenticity and origin of its financial sources. Agencies are also assessing claims of foreign funding received by the university as well as its parent trust. Nonetheless, Mohammad Razi has dismissed these allegations, stating that such reports are unfounded and that no foreign funds have been acquired.
Mohammad Razi, the Legal Advisor for Al Falah University, asserted that the institution's reputation has been severely harmed by circulating allegations. He emphasized that no unlawful or terror related activities have taken place within the university premises, adding that the incidents under investigation occurred externally. He reiterated that the university has not received any foreign funding and expressed full willingness to assist authorities.
Razi, who also serves as the in-charge and legal advisor of the Al-Falah Charitable Trust, further revealed that a Faridabad police team had visited and seized certain land-related documents. The trust's chairman, Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui who is also the vice-chancellor of Al Falah University—was requested to provide documentation concerning the university's land and infrastructure.
In recent weeks, both the university and its 76-acre campus located in the Muslim-majority village of Dhauj have been subject to heightened scrutiny after three doctors linked to a suspected "white-collar terrorist module" were arrested in connection with the Delhi blast. Sources also claimed that Faridabad police transported officials from the Al-Falah Charitable Trust and university to Delhi, subsequently confiscating land-related records from the trust's headquarters situated in Jamia, Delhi.
Meanwhile, the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) has suspended Al Falah University's membership. The university was informed of this development through an official communication from the AIU, which also instructed it to immediately remove the association's logo from all platforms. Citing its by-laws, the AIU stated that membership remains valid only as long as a university is in good standing. However, based on recent media reports and developments, the AIU concluded that Al Falah University no longer meets this requirement and thus suspended its membership with immediate effect.
Simultaneously, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has issued a show-cause notice to the university for allegedly posting misleading accreditation information on its recently removed website. The university had displayed an 'A' grade for its engineering and education institutes, despite the fact that their accreditation lapsed in 2018 and 2016, and neither applied for Cycle 2 evaluation. NAAC clarified that Al Falah University itself has never received accreditation. The council has demanded an explanation regarding why legal action should not be initiated and why future accreditation and recognition by regulatory bodies such as the UGC and NMC should not be revoked. It has also instructed the university to erase all inaccurate accreditation claims within seven days
