A Delhi court has dismissed two applications filed by Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui, the chairman of Al Falah University, seeking to present specific documents in a legal proceeding. The court ruled that at the cognisance stage, it is bound to consider only the material presented by the complainant, not the accused.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that Siddiqui had contended the documents would highlight discrepancies in the case presented by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). His second application sought a directive for the agency to furnish a list of documents it was not relying upon in its prosecution complaint.
In an order issued on August 4, Additional Sessions Judge Sheetal Chaudhary Pradhan stated, “It is a settled law that at the stage of cognizance the court is only required to take into consideration the material placed by the complainant (in this case the prosecution complaint), for limited purpose of finding out whether a prima facie case for issue of process is made out and is limited to the aforesaid extend.” The judge emphasized that at the pre-cognisance stage, the court’s examination is restricted to the complainant’s evidence to ascertain if a prima facie case exists for proceeding against the accused.
The defence had put forward arguments that the mandatory hearing before cognisance, as stipulated under the BNSS (Benches of National Security Screening), should permit an accused to introduce independent evidence. They also requested the supply of documents not being relied upon by the prosecution and proposed that the legal question be referred to the High Court.
However, the court determined that the issue of providing unrelied documents had already been addressed and was covered by a Supreme Court judgment. The application was consequently deemed meritless and not maintainable.
The Enforcement Directorate, in its opposition to the applications, submitted that the pleas were intended to prolong the legal proceedings and constituted an abuse of the judicial process.
Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui faces arrest by the ED in two separate money laundering investigations. In the first instance, he was apprehended on November 18, 2025. This arrest was linked to allegations of laundering proceeds derived from fees collected from students enrolled at the Faridabad-based Al Falah University.
The ED’s investigation originated from two First Information Reports (FIRs) filed by the Delhi Police Crime Branch. These FIRs alleged that the university had misleadingly presented NAAC accreditation and UGC recognition to students and their parents. The agency claims that between 2018 and 2025, the university accumulated Rs 415.10 crore, with student fee collections allegedly being diverted for personal use.
Subsequently, the ED arrested Siddiqui in connection with a second money laundering case. This investigation pertains to the alleged fraudulent acquisition of land valued at Rs 45 crore within Delhi.
Al Falah University had previously come under scrutiny as part of a broader investigation into alleged financial irregularities with potential links to extremist activities. This scrutiny intensified after two doctors associated with the university were arrested. Furthermore, another doctor connected to the university’s hospital, identified as Umar-un-Nabi, was identified by investigators as the individual responsible for a suicide bombing outside the Red Fort on November 10, 2025, which resulted in 15 fatalities.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
