NEW DELHI: A white-collar jihad hub nestled in the Al-Falah University, a prominent private institution in Haryana’s Faridabad district, shook up the nation after a member of its faculty, Dr Umar Un Nabi, became a suicide bomber, detonating his car near Red Fort the other day.
Days before the blast, other faculty members of the university were picked up on terror-related charges. With Al-Falah founder Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui in judicial custody, Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids uncovered crores in alleged laundered funds from fake accreditations, amid charges of faking patient records for fund generation. At least 10 of its staffers are missing, and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing the jihad hub’s Pakistan-backed networks.
Situated in the Muslim-majority Dhauj village, the university long positioned itself as a minority-focused centre of higher learning. However, recent events have severely shaken its reputation and prompted investigators to explore whether educated individuals, allegedly working under Pakistan-backed handlers, used the institution as a safe haven for operations.
From engineering college to university
Founded in 1997 as an engineering college, Al-Falah steadily expanded, gaining university status in 2014 under the Haryana Private Universities Act. Its first MBBS batch started in 2019. For many minority students from Haryana and neighbouring states, it served as an alternative to established institutions like Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Millia Islamia, and Jamia Hamdard. The university grew into a multidisciplinary network, including the Al-Falah School of Engineering and Technology, Brown Hill College of Engineering and Technology, Al-Falah School of Education and Training, and Al-Falah Medical College. Its 650-bed hospital, providing free treatment, boosted its social profile and attracted thousands of students.
Institutional structure
Al-Falah University operates under the Al-Falah Charitable Trust.
Jawad Siddiqui serves as chairman and chancellor, Mufti Abdullah Qasimi is vice-chairman, and Mohammad Wajid is secretary of the Department of Medical Education. Dr Bhupinder Kaur Anand is the vice-chancellor, and Prof (Dr) Mohammad Parvez acts as registrar. Despite overseeing a significant educational organisation, Siddiqui maintains a minimal digital footprint, with only a sparse LinkedIn profile citing his roles since the mid-1990s.
The Al-Falah School of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, under the university, received National Medical Commission (NMC) approval to admit the first MBBS batch in 2019. It offers 200 MBBS and 50 MD seats. The first-year fee for MBBS is Rs 16,37,500 for Indian students and $32,900 for NRIs. The five-year course costs about Rs 90 lakh, including examination, security, and hostel fees — hostel charge increases annually by 6%. MD fees vary widely, from Rs 2.5 lakh for anatomy to approximately Rs 30 lakh annually for pediatrics.
Red Fort blast and terror links
Al-Falah University entered national headlines after the November 10 blast near the Red Fort. The driver, Dr Umar un Nabi, an assistant professor at the Al-Falah Medical College from Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, died in the blast. Authorities allege he acted as a suicide bomber and was part of a terror network spanning Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh with suspected links to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.
Hours before the blast, eight individuals, including three Al-Falah doctors like faculty member Dr Muzammil Ganaie, were arrested and 2,900 kg of explosive-making material seized. The arrests deepened investigators’ suspicions about radical elements operating within the university. Officials were disturbed by the involvement of highly educated professionals allegedly engaged in terror planning, not simply uneducated recruits.
Jawad Siddiqui
Originally from Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, Jawad Siddiqui gained renewed attention after the Mhow Cantonment Board issued a demolition notice for allegedly illegal construction at his family’s ancestral home, locally known as ‘Maulana’s Building’. The four-storey structure with a sprawling basement stands as a landmark in Indore’s Kayastha neighbourhood.
In the late 1990s, Siddiqui’s father, the late Mohammad Hammad Siddiqui, was implicated in a significant financial fraud case in Mhow. Siddiqui himself was arrested 25 years ago in Hyderabad related to the case. Though these incidents precede the university’s establishment, investigators are now probing Siddiqui’s influence, role, and financial dealings.
Fake accreditation and UGC warnings
Regulators uncovered that Al-Falah falsely claimed an NAAC ‘A-grade’ accreditation it never held. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council in its show-cause notice labeled the claim “misleading” and a violation of norms. More than a decade after its establishment, the university had not secured NAAC accreditation. Two of its three colleges had been accredited only once each, and those credentials had lapsed.
The University Grants Commission clarified that Al-Falah is recognised only as a private university under Section 2(f) but is ineligible for Central financial assistance under Section 12(B). Investigators allege that false accreditation claims were used to attract students and parents by projecting an undeserved academic legitimacy.
Enforcement Directorate’s prob
The ED’s ongoing probe into Al-Falah revealed alleged large-scale financial manipulation. On November 18, chairman Siddiqui was arrested under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after raids. The ED case stems from Delhi Police FIRs alleging false NAAC claims and misrepresentation of central fund eligibility.
The ED found that all Al-Falah institutions’ bank accounts and income tax returns linked to a single PAN, indicating tight financial control within the trust. Income tax filings show huge inflows classified first as donations (Rs 30.89 crore in 2014-15 and Rs 29.48 crore in 2015-16) and later largely reclassified as academic income. Revenue rose sharply from Rs 24.21 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 80.01 crore by 2024-25. Over seven years, total collections amounted to Rs 415 crore, allegedly gathered by misleading students and routed through shell companies and family-owned entities. This financial trail is at the heart of the money laundering investigation.
AIU suspension
Three days after the Red Fort blast, the Association of Indian Universities suspended Al-Falah University’s membership, declaring it no longer met “good standing” criteria. AIU Secretary General Pankaj Mittal said the action followed bylaws. The suspension impacts degree equivalences, academic collaborations, and qualification recognition, further tarnishing the institution’s reputation. Investigators are probing whether university infrastructure and administrative lapses allowed terror operatives to embed within academic circles.
Simultaneously, agencies are tracking how hundreds of crores collected in student fees may have been manipulated through opaque financial flows. The months ahead will decide the university’s fate—whether reforms, stronger accountability, or tighter regulations emerge. For thousands of students and families who trusted Al-Falah, the stakes remain high.
