ED Raids Al Falah University, Linked Entities in Red Fort Blast Probe

New Delhi, Nov 18: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday carried out simultaneous raids across Delhi-NCR targeting the trustees and promoters of Al Falah University, which is under scrutiny in the Red Fort car blast case, officials said.

Multiple ED teams searched at least 25 premises of the Al Falah Trust and the University from 5:15 am, including an office in Delhi’s Okhla area, with police and paramilitary personnel securing the locations.

Fifteen people were killed in the November 10 blast near the Red Fort, and the involvement of several doctors connected to the University and those in Kashmir is being examined by anti-terror agencies. The raids form part of a probe into alleged financial irregularities, shell companies and money laundering linked to the University, an ED official said.

Key finance and administrative personnel of the Trust and the University have also been covered. The agency has taken note of FIRs filed by the NIA and Delhi Police, with the NIA so far arresting two alleged close aides of “suicide bomber” Dr Umar Nabi.

At least nine shell companies registered at a single address and associated with the group are under ED scrutiny. Preliminary findings show indicators typical of shell entities, including lack of physical presence, common contact details, minimal utility usage, and absence of EPFO/ESIC filings despite the reported scale of operations. Investigators also found overlapping directors, weak KYC trails, minimal salary disbursal via banking channels, lack of HR records, synchronised incorporation patterns, and shared coordinates across firms.

Officials added that discrepancies have also emerged in the University’s claims regarding UGC and NAAC recognition, pointing to possible non-compliance with educational norms. Al Falah University is located in the Dhouj area of Faridabad, Haryana, and operates a medical college-cum-hospital. (Agencies)