Al-Falah Founder, Brother Accused Of Cheating Bhopal Gas Tragedy Victims: Report

The case over alleged fraud and irregularities in the Faridabad-based Al-Falah University, which is under scrutiny over its links to the Delhi Red Fort blast, has taken a sensational turn, with its founder, Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui’s role being probed in a fraud case involving the victims of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy.

Siddiqui was arrested and sent to 13-day custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities at Al-Falah University. The ED said the university’s revenue grew sharply from Rs 24.21 crore in 2018–19 to Rs 80.10 crore in 2024–25, and that student fees and funds were diverted for personal use.

The agency is also probing whether funds generated through the alleged laundering were diverted

to terror-linked activities, including any association with suspects tied to the recent Red Fort blast probe. The ED’s move comes shortly after Siddiqui’s younger brother, Hamud (Hamood) Ahmad Siddiqui, was arrested in Hyderabad by Madhya Pradesh Police.

Hamood had been absconding for nearly 25 years in connection with multiple investment fraud cases filed in Mhow in 2000. The 50-year-old, wanted in at least four criminal cases, including a 1988 rioting and attempted murder case, was detained in Hyderabad’s Gachibowli area on Sunday.

Siddiqui’s Role In Cheating Bhopal Tragedy Victims

According to a report by IANS, Siddiqui and his brother Hamood allegedly defrauded the public of over Rs 2 crore in the Bhopal chit fund scam. The fraud was perpetrated between 1997 and 2001 and involved a bogus chit fund company that promised investors to double their money within months.

Hundreds of people, including victims of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy and members of the Muslim community, handed over their savings after they wrre lured by the promises of high returns. However, the brothers had absconded by 2001, leaving investors in ruin.

Sources told IANS that part of the money collected in the Bhopal scam is suspected to have been diverted towards radical and terrorist activities in later years, although this angle is still under investigation.

Renewed Focus On Al-Falah

Siddiqui’s name came under wider public scrutiny after the November 10 blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, which killed at least 15 people and triggered a nationwide terror investigation. Soon after the explosion, agencies discovered links between the accused terrorist and three medical doctors associated with Al-Falah University.

The doctors were arrested in a joint operation by Haryana Police and Jammu & Kashmir Police, and nearly 2,900 kg of explosives were recovered from locations tied to them. The ED is now investigating money laundering angles in the chit fund scam and possible terror funding trails.

A senior police officer who was part of the 2001 investigation said Siddiqui had evaded justice for 24 years and ran a university. “Many victims died waiting for justice. Now at least the process has restarted,” he told IANS.