New Delhi, July 13 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Monday reserved its order on the interim bail applications filed by Al-Falah Trust money laundering case accused Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui, who has sought temporary release on humanitarian grounds citing his wife’s ongoing treatment for Stage-IV cancer.
A single-judge Bench of Justice Saurabh Banerjee reserved orders after hearing detailed arguments from both sides on Siddiqui’s interim bail applications.
Appearing for Siddiqui, senior advocate Vikram Chaudhri, briefed by advocates Vishvendra Tomar, Talib Mustafa and Abhishek Singh, pressed for interim bail, submitting that Siddiqui’s wife, Usma Akhtar, is battling Stage-IV cancer and requires his care and support during this critical period.
Senior advocate Zoheb Hossein represented the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The interim bail applications arise out of two separate money laundering cases being investigated by the ED. The regular bail applications filed by Siddiqui are listed for hearing before the Delhi High Court on July 29 and 30.
Last week, the Delhi High Court had ordered the transfer of Siddiqui’s two interim bail applications to the Bench of Justice Saurabh Banerjee after his counsel submitted that his regular bail plea in one of the ED cases was also pending before the same judge.
Earlier, the Delhi High Court had sought a status report from the ED on Siddiqui’s plea challenging a trial court order rejecting his request for temporary release. The hearing was subsequently deferred after the federal anti-money laundering agency placed its status report on record.
Siddiqui has sought interim bail, contending that his wife Akhtar is undergoing treatment for Stage-IV ovarian cancer and that he is her primary caregiver. Seeking six weeks’ interim bail, he has submitted that he needs to be with his wife during the ongoing course of her treatment.
Opposing the plea, the ED has argued that the petition is not maintainable and has resisted the grant of interim bail.
Earlier, an Additional Sessions Judge at Saket Courts had dismissed Siddiqui’s interim bail applications after examining his wife’s medical records and the rival submissions.
In its order passed on June 9, the Special Court observed that while it was undisputed that Akhtar was suffering from Stage-IV cancer, the medical records placed before it did not indicate any immediate life-threatening condition or emergency warranting interim bail.
The trial court said that the medical documents described her disease as “stable” and recorded a “good response to treatment”. Rejecting the plea, the Special Court held that Siddiqui had failed to establish that his wife was terminally ill, incapable of managing her daily routine, or that no alternative caregiver was available to assist her.
According to the ED, the money laundering investigation stems from multiple FIRs registered by the Delhi Police alleging cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy in connection with the operations of Al-Falah University and its associated entities.
The ED has alleged that Al-Falah University falsely projected expired NAAC accreditations as valid and claimed non-existent UGC recognition, while its medical college was allegedly involved in irregularities to secure approvals from the National Medical Commission (NMC).
The federal financial agency has claimed that its investigation revealed the generation of proceeds of crime worth Rs 493.24 crore between 2016-17 and 2024-25, which were allegedly diverted through entities linked to Siddiqui and his family members.
Earlier this year, the ED attached assets worth Rs 39.45 crore belonging to Al-Falah Charitable Trust and Siddiqui, besides attaching varsity land and buildings valued at more than Rs 144 crore as part of the probe.
–IANS
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