ED conducts searches at Al Falah University and multiple properties linked to its trustees following the Red Fort car blast; investigations reveal ties to JeM-linked terror module and alleged financial wrongdoing.
ED conducts searches at Al Falah University and multiple properties linked to its trustees following the Red Fort car blast; investigations reveal ties to JeM-linked terror module and alleged financial wrongdoing. (Image Credit: X)
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, conducted wide-ranging searches at the Delhi office of Al Falah University and several properties linked to its trustees and associated entities in connection with the November 10 Red Fort car blast, sources said. The operation, which began at 5 a.m., covered 25 locations across Delhi, Faridabad, and other areas, including the university’s Okhla branch and its main Faridabad campus.
The probe agency has also registered a PMLA case over suspected financial wrongdoing involving the university and its promoters. Investigators are examining possible money laundering connected to the “white-collar” Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM)-linked Faridabad terror module, where suicide bomber Dr Umar Un Nabi and several other accused had been employed.
During the raids, ED officials traced and questioned Javed Ahmed Siddiqui, a senior trustee who had reportedly been missing for several days. He was found at his residence and interrogated, with searches continuing at his home as part of the ongoing investigation.
Siddiqui, who became the director of Al-Falah Investment Company in 1992 before setting up the Al-Falah Trust, later expanded the organisation into education, software, finance, and energy. He has been under scrutiny previously as well: Delhi Police booked him in 2000 for allegedly defrauding individuals through Halal investment schemes.
At the same time, the Delhi Police Crime Branch is set to question Al Falah University founder Jawad in two cases of cheating and forgery. According to officials, notices have already been served. One FIR accuses the university of misleading students by falsely displaying a UGC 12B certificate on its website, while the second alleges it continued student admissions even though its NAAC accreditation had expired in 2018.
The university has been under the scanner ever since several doctors associated with it were arrested following the Red Fort blast, which killed 15 people and injured more than 30. The suicide bomber, Dr Umar Un Nabi, was serving as an Assistant Professor there.
In a major development on Monday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Jasir Bilal Wani, also known as Danish, from Srinagar. Jasir, a Kashmiri resident, allegedly provided technical expertise for modifying drones and developing improvised rockets for terror operations, including preparations leading up to the Red Fort blast. The NIA said his contribution significantly boosted the module’s capabilities.
Investigations into the terror group linked to Dr Umar indicate a highly organised network with encrypted communication channels and coordinated handling of weapons. Officials found that Umar had created a covert Signal group months before the attack, adding members such as Muzammil, Adeel, Muzaffar, and Irfan. A major breakthrough came when a Krinkov rifle and a pistol were recovered from Dr Shaheen’s vehicle. Umar had reportedly procured and handed these weapons to Irfan in 2024. Dr Shaheen is believed to have contributed the largest share of funds to the group.
Authorities have identified clear roles within the network: Muzammil and other doctors managed the finances, while Irfan (Mufti) oversaw recruitment, bringing in two associates who have since been arrested. Investigators also documented several instances in late 2023 of the group’s members transporting, cleaning, and storing weapons. Officials say the findings reveal a sophisticated terror network operating under the guise of academic and professional legitimacy.
