FARIDABAD: Al Falah University in Faridabad has responded to a show-cause notice issued by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), saying that the outdated accreditation displayed on its website was “an oversight.” The university confirmed that the information has now been removed and expressed regret for the “website design error.”The response comes amid an ongoing investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into alleged financial irregularities at the Al-Falah group, which runs the university, a hospital and a medical college in Faridabad. ED sources say crores of rupees were allegedly siphoned off to family-linked entities, with contracts for construction and catering awarded to companies owned by the family of the group’s chairman, Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui. Siddiqui was arrested on Tuesday by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following searches at 25 premises linked to the group. Investigators reportedly seized over Rs 48 lakh in cash, multiple digital devices and documents pointing to shell companies and possible diversion of funds. Court records note that between FY 2018–19 and 2024–25, Al-Falah institutions generated approximately Rs 415.10 crore in education-related receipts. The ED alleges that these funds were obtained through cheating, forgery and the use of fabricated documents during periods when the university misrepresented its accreditation and statutory status. The investigation is described as “nascent” but serious, with custodial interrogation deemed necessary to trace further proceeds of crime and prevent the dissipation of assets. The probe follows two FIRs filed by the Delhi Police Crime Branch alleging that the university made fraudulent claims about NAAC and UGC accreditation to mislead students and parents. The University Grants Commission (UGC) had earlier clarified that Al-Falah University is recognised only under Section 2(f) as a State Private University and has never applied under Section 12(B), making it ineligible for grants under that provision.
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