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New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday intensified its investigation into the Red Fort area terrorist blast case by conducting widespread searches at Al Falah University in Faridabad, along with the premises of its promoters, trustees and several persons linked to the institution. According to officials familiar with the development, multiple teams from the federal agency fanned out across the Delhi–NCR region in the early hours, beginning coordinated operations around 5 am. The raids are being conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after the ED took cognisance of FIRs registered by both the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Delhi Police. The focus of the searches, sources said, is to scrutinise financial transactions, trace potential diversion of funds and verify suspected terror-financing links that may have a bearing on the broader investigation into the blast conspiracy.
Focus on Suspected Funding Channels
Investigators are examining whether any individuals or entities associated with Al Falah University played a role, knowingly or unknowingly, in facilitating transactions linked to the alleged terror module. The ED teams are inspecting ledgers, bank account details, digital records, property documents and financial statements that could reveal unusual patterns or undisclosed funding trails. The NIA, which is concurrently probing the terror angle, has so far arrested two individuals described as close aides of the alleged “suicide bomber” Dr Umar Nabi, a key figure suspected to be involved in planning extremist activities around the national capital. Officials believe that unravelling the financial layer of the case is crucial, as funding networks often hold the most unmistakable evidence of intent, coordination and logistical support behind terror operations.
Why Al Falah University Came Under the Scanner
Al Falah University, situated in the Dhouj area of Faridabad, near Delhi, operates as a private university with an affiliated medical college and hospital. Over the years, the institution has expanded its footprint in higher education, attracting students from Delhi, Haryana and neighbouring states. However, investigators began examining its financial ecosystem after certain transactions and associations flagged by intelligence inputs appeared to overlap with individuals currently under suspicion in the Red Fort blast probe. While there is no official confirmation yet of wrongdoing by the institution itself, the ED’s action indicates that the agency is pursuing leads suggesting that some financial flows linked to persons associated with the university may not align with their declared sources of income. In previous terror-financing cases, investigators have found that educational institutions, trusts or welfare bodies are sometimes misused for routing funds, often without the knowledge of the core management. This possibility has prompted a closer examination of Al Falah’s trustees, promoters, and other linked entities, with investigators reportedly tracing both domestic and international transactions.
The ED is expected to continue the searches throughout the day, with officials preparing to record statements and possibly freeze or seize documents if required for the ongoing money-laundering inquiry. Although the agency has not released an official statement, the coordinated nature of Tuesday’s operation signals a significant development in the efforts to uncover the financial architecture behind the alleged terror plot.
