New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday deferred the hearing on an interim bail plea filed by Al-Falah Trust money laundering case accused Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) placed its status report on record.
The matter came up before Justice Vinod Kumar, who posted the case for further hearing on July 8.
Siddiqui has sought six weeks’ interim bail on the ground that his wife, Usma Akhtar, is undergoing treatment for cancer and requires his care and support during the ongoing course of treatment.
The development came a week after the Delhi High Court sought a status report from the federal anti-money laundering agency on Siddiqui’s plea challenging a trial court order rejecting his request for temporary release.
Appearing for Siddiqui, senior advocate Vikram Chaudhri had submitted that Akhtar was undergoing treatment for Stage-IV ovarian cancer and that Siddiqui was her primary caregiver. Seeking six weeks’ interim bail, Siddiqui contended that he needed to be with his wife during the ongoing phase of her treatment.
Opposing the plea, the ED had argued that the petition was not maintainable and 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 noted 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 court said that medical documents described her disease as “stable” and recorded a “good response to treatment”.
Rejecting the plea, the Special Court said 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.
The court also recorded that the couple’s adult children could travel to India to provide support if required. The court order stated that Siddiqui’s wife had travelled to the UAE in February this year and that there was no material to show she was unable to manage her daily routine or that no alternative caregiver was available.
“Therefore, in the present matter, the accused/applicant has failed to show that the wife of accused/applicant is terminally ill or is unable to take care of her daily routine and requires constant support of the accused/applicant,” the trial court had said while dismissing the plea.
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 functioning of Al-Falah University and associated entities.
The federal financial agency 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 ED 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 federal anti-money laundering agency attached assets worth Rs 39.45 crore belonging to Al-Falah Charitable Trust and Siddiqui, besides attaching university land and buildings valued at more than Rs 144 crore as part of the probe.
(IANS)
