Delhi Red Fort blast probe shifts focus to Al-Falah University founder Javed Ahmad Siddiqui
New Delhi: The investigation into the devastating car bomb blast near Delhi’s Red Fort has taken a dramatic turn, with probe agencies now zeroing in on Al-Falah University founder Javed Ahmad Siddiqui.
Two key accused in the case — Dr. Shaheen Sayeed and Dr. Muzammil Shakeel — were employed at the same university, prompting investigators to re-examine Siddiqui’s financial and organisational networks.
Siddiqui, a native of Madhya Pradesh, is the director of nine companies linked to the Al-Falah Charitable Trust. These companies, spanning education, software, finance and energy sectors, were all registered under a single address in Delhi, raising further suspicion. Adding to this, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a separate financial probe to trace the source of funds used for running the university.
Siddiqui is not new to controversy. He was earlier jailed for three years in a 7.5-crore fraud case, where he and his associates allegedly created fake “halal investment” schemes. The group reportedly collected crores from investors, converted deposits into fictitious shares and diverted the money into personal accounts. Arrested in 2001, Siddiqui secured bail in 2004 after promising to refund investors.
Despite these allegations resurfacing, the university’s legal advisor Mohammed Razi denied any wrongdoing on Siddiqui’s part. He stated that the administration had no knowledge of the accused employees’ backgrounds, emphasising that recruitment decisions were the responsibility of the university’s vice-chancellor.
The Red Fort blast, which killed 13 people, was carried out by Umar Mohammad, a Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad operative who detonated an explosive-laden vehicle. Investigation teams have since uncovered a chilling conspiracy: the blast was allegedly part of a broader plan to orchestrate 32 serial explosions across Delhi as revenge for the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
Multiple agencies — including Delhi Police Special Cell, NIA, Intelligence Bureau and ED — are now collaborating to map the terror financing trail, identify local sympathisers and determine whether Siddiqui’s institutions were misused, knowingly or unknowingly, as a cover for extremist activities.
The probe is likely to intensify in the coming days, with investigators scrutinising financial records, employee backgrounds and corporate links tied to the Al-Falah network.
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