Who is Jawad Siddiqui, Faridabad's Al Falah University director, comes under scanner after Delhi Red Fort blast?

Days after the Delhi car blast at Red Fort, Faridabad’s Al-Falah University has found itself under intense scrutiny due to the employment of two of the three main suspects - Dr Shaheen Saeed and Dr Mujammil Shakeel. Now, its founder and director, Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui, has come under the scanner and is being investigated thoroughly.

Who is Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui?

He is originally from Mhow, nearly 23 kilometres from Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Siddiqui is on the board of nine companies, all of which are connected via the Al-Falah Charitable Trust, the body that oversees the university's functioning, as per a NDTV report. These nine firms relate to education, software, financial services, and energy sectors. Most of them share the same registered address, a building in Delhi, the report added.

How Siddiqui established Al Falah University

The funds used to establish the university reportedly came from a chit fund scam in Mhow, News18 reported, adding that after completing his studies, Siddiqui started a chit fund company called Al Falah Investment. Siddiqui ran the company for a few years and later shut down operations, fled with investors’ money. He later established Al Falah University in Faridabad, Haryana, the news channel reported.

AIU cancels Al Falah University's membership

The Association of All Indian Universities (AIU) has cancelled Al-Falah University’s membership, citing a lack of ‘good standing’. The Association has also ordered the institute to remove AIU logo with immediate effect. The official website of the university has now been taken down.

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NAAC issues showcause notice to Al Falah University

The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) issued a show-cause notice to Al Falah University for displaying false accreditation on its website. It states that the university has neither been accredited nor volunteered for Cycle One for Assessment and Accreditation, as has been publicly displayed on their website.