New Delhi, November 19: India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday raided 25 premises connected to Haryana-based Al-Falah University as federal authorities expanded investigations into alleged financial irregularities and possible links to a recent blast in Delhi that killed 13 people, officials said.
Searches were carried out at the university’s Okhla office in New Delhi and at its 70-acre campus in Faridabad after the federal government ordered a forensic audit of its accounts, the officials said. The Delhi Police Economic Offences Wing has also joined the probe.
The university came under scrutiny after three doctors associated with its medical college emerged as suspects in the blast near the Red Fort earlier this week. Police said about 2,900 kg of explosive materials were recovered from rooms rented by one of the doctors, while assault rifles and other weapons were seized from a vehicle belonging to another. The third doctor was killed when the blast occurred.
The National Investigation Agency is probing the explosion, while the ED and the Economic Offences Wing are examining the university’s funding and governance.
Al-Falah University already faces two police cases following concerns raised by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the National Assessment and Accreditation Council over its accreditation claims. The Association of Indian Universities has suspended the institution’s membership, saying it “does not appear to be in good standing”.
Founded in 2014 and run by the Al-Falah Charitable Trust, the university operates schools in medical sciences, engineering, humanities, computer science and education.
Vice Chancellor Bhupinder Kaur Anand said earlier that the university “condemns the unfortunate developments” and has “no connection” to the accused individuals beyond their employment. The institution also criticised “misleading stories” being circulated online, calling them an attempt to malign its reputation.
