Major Land Fraud Uncovered in Red Fort Blast Investigation
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has made shocking revelations in its ongoing probe against Al Falah University founder Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui, uncovering a sophisticated land fraud scheme involving forged documents of deceased property owners. The investigation, which stems from the November 10 Red Fort blast case, has exposed how prime land in South East Delhi was illegally acquired through fabricated documents.
Forged Documents of Dead Owners Used in Land Transfer
During detailed financial examination, ED investigators discovered that forged General Power of Attorney (GPA) documents were used to sell land in the names of five deceased former owners. The land, located in Khasra no 792 in Madanpur Khadar, was ultimately acquired by Tarbia Education Foundation, which is controlled by Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui.
The probe revealed a disturbing pattern where all five original landowners had died years before the power of attorney was registered on January 7, 2004. According to ED sources, the deceased owners included:
- Nathu, who died on January 1, 1972
- Harbans Singh, who died on April 27, 1991
- Harkesh, who died on June 12, 1993
- Shiv Dayal, who died on January 22, 1998
- Jay Ram, who died on October 15, 1998
Despite all these individuals being deceased, their signatures and thumb impressions were forged on documents that facilitated the land transfer to Vinod Kumar, who held the power of attorney, and subsequently to Tarbia Education Foundation on June 27, 2013 for a consideration of Rs 75,00,000.
University's Connection to Red Fort Blast Case
The Al Falah University came under scanner after three doctors working with the institution were identified as suspects in the November 10 Red Fort blast case. This connection prompted the Centre to order a forensic audit of all university records, leading to the current investigation.
Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui was arrested on November 18 following extensive searches conducted by multiple ED teams at 25 locations linked to the Al Falah group across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). The arrest came after detailed investigation and analysis of evidence gathered during these search operations.
Legal Implications and Ongoing Probe
ED officials emphasized that a GPA signed by a dead person has no legal authority, making the entire transaction illegal. Despite this legal void, a registered sale deed was executed in 2013, raising serious questions about the registration process and document verification mechanisms.
The investigation against Al Falah group began based on two FIRs registered by Delhi Police's Crime Branch, which alleged that the university made fraudulent claims of NAAC accreditation to deceive students, parents, and stakeholders for wrongful gains. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is an autonomous body under the University Grants Commission that assesses the quality status of higher educational institutions.
The ED continues to investigate the money laundering angle and the broader financial network involved in this case, which has now expanded beyond the initial Red Fort blast connections to reveal significant financial irregularities and document forgery.
