The ED has raided more than 25 locations tied to Al-Falah University as part of the Delhi Red Fort blast probe, uncovering shell firms, suspicious fund flows and regulatory violations. The financial trail is now central to the expanding investigation.
ED officials conduct raids at multiple locations linked to the Al-Falah group as part of the Delhi Red Fort blast investigation. | Pic courtesy: IANS
The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday intensified its financial probe into Al-Falah University as part of the ongoing investigation into the November 10 Red Fort car blast, launching early-morning searches across more than 25 locations connected to the institution, its trustees, and several associated entities.
Raids began at around 5 am at the university headquarters in Okhla and later extended to its Jamia Nagar office and multiple premises linked to the Al-Falah Charitable Trust. Security presence was stepped up in the area as ED teams moved in and out with documents and digital material.
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Officials said the enforcement action is focused on suspected fund diversion, accommodation entries and transactions flagged during preliminary checks. The agency is probing potential violations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after Delhi Police filed two FIRs against the university for alleged cheating and forged accreditation documents.
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Sources added that the central government has also ordered a forensic audit of the university’s accounts, while the Delhi Police Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has been tasked with examining broader operational and financial irregularities alongside the ED.
Early scrutiny has revealed a network of nine shell companies reportedly tied to the Al-Falah group.
Investigators noted several red flags:
Officials said these indicators point to accommodation entries and layered fund movement, now being mapped through bank trails.
Al-Falah University, set up in 2014 and recognised by the UGC in 2015, is governed by the Al-Falah Charitable Trust established in 1995. Investigators are now examining prima facie discrepancies in the university’s NAAC and UGC recognition claims, following earlier complaints.
The institution has come under sharp national scrutiny after central agencies linked three of its doctors—Dr Umar Muhammad Nabi, Dr Muzammil Shakeel and Dr Shaheen Saeed—to what officials describe as a “white-collar” Jaish-e-Mohammad module.
In a parallel development, the NIA on Monday secured 10-day custody of Aamir Rashid Ali, a resident of Samboora (Pampore). The Hyundai i20 that exploded near the Red Fort was registered in his name; he allegedly helped Umar procure it and later assisted in converting it into a vehicle-borne IED.
Later that evening, NIA teams in Srinagar detained Jasir Bilal Wani alias Danish, who allegedly handled technical functions, such as modifying drones, experimenting with rockets and providing engineering support to the module.
More details about the Faridabad-centred “white-collar” module have surfaced through digital forensics. According to an NDTV report, the group extensively used Telegram, relying on food metaphors to mask conversations.
Investigators found that “biryani” referred to explosive material, while “daawat” signalled an imminent attack. When an IED was fully assembled, the message exchanged was: “Biryani is ready, get ready for daawat.”
The core group, i.e. Dr Umar Muhammad Nabi, Dr Shaheen Saeed, Dr Muzamil Shakeel, and Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather, has since had its medical licences revoked from the National and Indian Medical Registers.
Investigators say radicalisation trails back to Imam Irfan Ahmad of Shopian, who reportedly first met Umar in 2020 during a hospital visit. Over time, Umar was allegedly encouraged to identify like-minded associates.
The group was later introduced to Jaish-e-Mohammad operatives in south Kashmir, where two AK-series rifles were handed over. One of these weapons was recovered from Dr Shaheen’s vehicle.
While Dr Shaheen has admitted meeting the group months before the blast, she denies any knowledge of the conspiracy.
The probe earlier led to the recovery of nearly 2,900 kg of ammonium nitrate from rooms rented by Muzammil in Faridabad, outside the Al-Falah campus. Hours after the seizure, the explosive-laden i20 detonated near Red Fort, killing at least 15 people.
Separately, a portion of the seized explosives, sent to Nowgam Police Station for sampling, triggered an accidental explosion during handling, killing nine and injuring several others.
Investigations by the ED, NIA, EOW and other agencies continue.
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