Forged power of attorney used to acquire land for Al-Falah University entity; ED investigation exposes sale executed in names of dead owners

NEW DElHI: The Enforcement Directorate’s probe into the Al-Falah University land acquisition trail had uncovered a significant fraud involving the use of a forged General Power of Attorney (GPA) allegedly executed by individuals long after their deaths.

Officials, requesting anonymity, told ANI that land falling under Khasra No. 792 in the Madanpur Khadar area in southeast Delhi was eventually purchased by the Tarbia Education Foundation, linked to Al-Falah group chairman Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui, on the basis of fabricated ownership documents. ED arrested Siddiqui on late November 18 evening under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 following a detailed investigation and analysis of evidences gathered during a massive search action conducted at premises related to Al-Falah group in the ongoing probe in an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) recorded by the ED on November 14 under PMLA in connection with the Al-Falah Group.

During the subsequent probe, ED discovered that the GPA dated January 7, 2004, contains signatures and thumb impressions of several landowners who had passed away years earlier —in some instances, decades before the document was created.
Investigation till now reveals that many landowners died between 1972 and 1998.

Despite this, a GPA dated January 7, 2004, is signed by them.

“Despite this, the document was later used to facilitate the sale of land to the foundation,” said the officials.

Documents reviewed by the ED so far point to striking irregularities, showing that several landowners — including Nathu (died January 1, 1972), Harbans Singh (died April 27, 1991), Harkesh (died June 12, 1993), Shiv Dayal (died January 22, 1998), and Jay Ram (died October 15, 1998) — had already passed away long before the GPA was executed.

“All of these individuals are shown as signatories or executants of the 2004 GPA, which was purportedly executed in favour of Vinod Kumar, son of Bhule Ram,” said the officials.

Officials note that under the law, a deceased person cannot execute a GPA, nor can such a document carry any legal validity.

Despite this, a registered sale deed dated June 27, 2013, transferred the land to Tarbia Education Foundation for Rs 75 lakh, with Vinod Kumar signing on behalf of multiple deceased co-owners claiming to act under the forged GPA.

“The probe so far concludes that the GPA was fabricated, signatures or thumb impressions were forged, the land was transferred using fraudulent documentation, and Tarbia Education Foundation appears as the ultimate beneficiary,” said the officials.

Authorities are continuing further investigation to determine criminal liability, identify beneficiaries, and assess the scale of the alleged land fraud linked to Al-Falah University.

Earlier, the ED had alleged that Al-Falah University and its controlling trust generated proceeds of crime worth at least Rs 415.10 crore by fraudulently inducing students and parents to pay fees on the basis of false accreditation and recognition claims. The federal agency had made the claims in a remand application filed with the court after the arrest of the Al-Falah group chairman.

ED’s remand application mentions an analysis of Income Tax Returns for the Financial Years (FYs) 2014-15 to 2024-25— the period after Al-Falah University’s establishment — that revealed substantial revenues recorded as voluntary contributions and educational receipts. It said the trust declared Rs 30.89 crore in FY 2014-15 and Rs 29.48 crore in FY 2015-16 as “voluntary contributions”. From FY 2016-17 onwards, large incomes were reported as “receipts from main object” or “educational revenue”, including Rs 24.21 crore (FY 2018-19), Rs 41.97 crore (FY 2019-20), Rs 55.49 crore (FY 2020-21), Rs 55.15 crore (FY 2021-22), Rs 89.28 crore (FY 2022-23), Rs 68.87 crore (FY 2023-24) and Rs 80.10 crore (FY 2024-25).

The agency pointed in the remand application that the aggregate income from years when institutions lacked valid accreditation stands at Rs 415.10 crore.

The ED told the court that Siddiqui exercised complete control over the Al-Falah educational ecosystem, and only a portion of the proceeds of crime has been identified so far.

Seeking Siddiqui’s custodial interrogation, the ED told the court that the custody of the accused was essential to uncover fee structures, donations, inter-entity fund flows, and any benami or off-book assets created using illicit funds.

The agency also warned of a “serious risk of dissipation” of tainted assets, stating that Siddiqui continued to wield de facto influence over the trust and could potentially divert funds, alter ownership structures or encumber properties, including the Dhauj campus, to obstruct the investigation.

The remand note further stated there was a strong possibility of tampering with evidence and influencing witnesses, as the alleged offences involved forged documents, manipulated website claims and misrepresentation of statutory recognition.

Siddiqui, it said, had direct command over staff handling admissions, accounts, and IT systems, and could destroy or alter digital trails, ledgers, or registers.

The ED added that custodial interrogation was required to determine the roles of family members and associates who appeared as trustees and directors across the university’s network, but where evidence pointed to Siddiqui being the “controlling mind”.

The agency also flagged Siddiqui as a flight risk, noting his financial resources, previous involvement in serious economic offences, and family connections in Gulf countries.

Citing two First Information Reports (FIRs) of Crime Branch of Delhi Police, based on which ED filed money laundering case against Al-Falah group, the agency there were reasonable grounds to believe Siddiqui committed the offence of money laundering under Section 3 of the PMLA by engaging in activities connected with proceeds of crime generated through cheating, forgery and misrepresentation of NAAC and UGC recognition.

Crime Branch of Delhi Police had registered the two FIRs on November 13 based on the allegations that Faridabad-based Al-Falah University has made fraudulent and misleading claims of National Assessment Accreditation Council (NAAC) accreditation with an intention to deceive students, parents, and stakeholders for wrongful gain. It has been further mentioned in FIR that Al-Falah University has falsely claimed University Grants Commission (UGC) recognition under Section 12(B) of the UGC Act, 1956, with an oblique motive to cheat the aspirants, students, parents, guardians, stakeholders and general public to gain wrongfully and cause wrongful loss to them. The UGC clarified that Al-Falah University is included only under Section 2(f) as a State Private University, has never applied for inclusion under Section 12(B), and is not eligible for grants under that provision.
Al-Falah Charitable Trust was constituted by a public charitable trust deed dated September 8, 1995, with Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui named as one of the first trustees and designated as the Managing Trustee, the ED said.

“All the educational institutions (university and colleges) are ultimately owned and financially consolidated under this trust, which is effectively controlled by Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui. The entire Al-Falah group has seen a meteoric rise since the 1990s, metamorphosing into a large educational body. However, the rise is not backed by adequate financials,” ED has said.

ED has conducted search operations at 19 locations in Delhi on Tuesday, including the premises of Al-Falah University and the residential premises of key persons of the Al-Falah group.

ED said its investigation has revealed that “large amounts of proceeds of crime have been generated. Evidence reveals that crores of rupees have been diverted by the trust to family-owned entities.”

“For example, the construction as well as catering contracts were given by trust and Jawad Ahmad to entities of his wife and children”, it said.

During the search, ED said, cash of over 48 lakhs, multiple digital devices and documentary evidence were found and seized.

“Multiple shell companies of the group have been identified. Numerous violations under several other Acts have also been detected,” the agency mentioned in a statement.

The role of Siddiqui in effectively controlling the trust and its activities has been brought out by multiple pieces of evidence, said the ED, adding “exhaustive evidence, including recovery of cash from trustees’ diversion of funds to family concern, layering of funds, etc., clearly establishes the pattern of generation and layering of proceeds of crime.” (ANI)