Red Fort blast case: ED raids 25 premises linked to Al Falah University in Delhi-NCR

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Tuesday morning carried out search operations at around 25 premises linked to the Al Falah University in Delhi-NCR, officials said.

In a coordinated enforcement operation at 5:15 am, the ED officials conducted searches as part of the agency’s ongoing investigation into alleged financial irregularities, use of shell companies, accommodation entities and money laundering.

The role of the Al Falah Trust and related entities is under investigation. Key personnel overseeing finance and administration have also been covered during the searches, ED sources said.

Nine shell companies linked to the group, all registered at a single address, are under examination.

Early findings have pointed to multiple risk indicators consistent with shell-company behaviour, including no physical presence or meaningful utility consumption at their declared places of business.

The probe also revealed a common mobile number and email ID being used across various companies and bank accounts.

Additionally, EPFO/ESIC filings have been found inconsistent with the reported scale of operations.

Other preliminary findings include overlapping directors/signatories, weak KYC trails, minimal salary disbursal through banking channels, and the absence of HR records, sources said.

Synchronised incorporation patterns and common contact coordinates across firms have also been found.

Further, the agency has found prima facie discrepancies in claims made regarding UGC and NAAC recognition, which are now being examined with the concerned authorities.

The investigation is ongoing.