Delhi blast investigation puts spotlight on Al Falah University management, director Javed Ahmed Siddiqui's past arrest

The agencies probing the blast have now widened their investigation to include Al Falah University, with a focus back on director Javed Ahmed Siddiqui.

Published on: Nov 14, 2025, 12:44:14 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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The Al Falah University has been in the spotlight since the “white collar” terror module was busted earlier this week. The focus became even more intense after the same module was linked to the Delhi Red Fort car blast on Monday evening.

NIA and the crime branch team at Al Falah University, located at the Dhauj road in Faridabad. (Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)

At least 10 people have died, with several others sustaining injuries, after a high-intensity blast in a white i20 tore through vehicles at a busy intersection near the Lal Quila Metro Station.

Al Falah University is now firmly under the radar of investigating agencies, as the Delhi blast prime suspect, Dr Umar Nabi and most of the terror module busted before that, is connected to the institution situated on Faridabad's Dhauj road.

Who runs Al Falah University?

The management and the financial practices of Al-Falah University are being carefully scrutinised by the agencies.

According to Delhi Police officials, the university’s director, 61-year-old Javed Ahmed Siddiqui, is linked to nine other institutions and companies. He has long been associated with the Al-Falah group.

Siddiqui was previously arrested in a cheating case in 2000 for allegedly misappropriating ₹7.5 crore from investors through fake investment firms. According to the police, Siddiqui was accused of luring investors into shell companies under the Al-Falah banner, including Al-Falah Education Service, Al-Falah Investment Ltd., and Al-Falah Exports, all of which were registered at a common Okhla address. He was jailed for three years before being acquitted in 2005.

NIA and Delhi Police teams raided the Group’s Okhla premises on Thursday and seized land documents and financial files.

“We are examining whether any of the old firms or trust accounts were used to route money linked to the accused doctors,” an officer said.

A legal advisor at the Okhla office, Mohammad Raazi, told HT: “We had no idea of the doctors’ activities. Our campus was never used for any funding or experiment linked to terror. The police have taken documents, and we are fully cooperating.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More

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