New Delhi’s legal corridors are buzzing as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) gears up to contest the interim bail granted to Al-Falah University Chairman Javed Ahmad Siddiqui. The two-week relief, given on humanitarian grounds for his ailing wife, has sparked concerns within the agency that Siddiqui could tamper with witnesses in the ongoing money laundering probe.
The ED plans to file a petition in the Delhi High Court, arguing that the trial court overlooked critical submissions on Saturday when approving the bail. Sources indicate the agency views this as a potential risk to the integrity of their investigation into alleged financial irregularities at the Faridabad-based university.
Central to the ED’s apprehension is Siddiqui’s claim that his three children, residing in the UAE, cannot travel to India due to flight disruptions from conflicts in Iran. The agency alleges this was a misrepresentation, as his daughter Afia Siddiqua and son Afham Ahmad could have made arrangements despite the hurdles.
Siddiqui was arrested by the ED on November 18, 2025, in connection with a money laundering case linked to fake recognition claims by the university’s key institutions. This probe stems from a broader investigation into a supposed ‘white-collar terror’ network tied to the Red Fort blast on November 10, 2025.
Additional Sessions Judge Sheetal Chaudhary granted the bail on a Rs 1 lakh bond, accepting Siddiqui’s plea for time to care for his cancer-stricken wife at Apollo Hospital. However, the ED’s counsel had warned against release, citing risks of witness influence and noting the wife’s stable condition since her treatment began in 2024.
The case has deeper roots. The ED previously informed a Delhi court that the university generated around Rs 45 crore in proceeds of crime by admitting students under false pretenses. In January, they attached properties worth Rs 139.97 crore linked to the institution.
Investigators claim institutional funds were laundered through family-controlled entities, with remittances sent abroad favoring Siddiqui’s relatives. Separately, Delhi Police’s Crime Branch registered two FIRs against him on January 27 based on a UGC complaint, charging fraud and related offenses. Siddiqui remains in judicial custody for that case.
As the High Court petition looms, this development underscores the tensions between humanitarian considerations and investigative imperatives in high-stakes financial crime probes.