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A Delhi court Saturday (March 7, 2026) granted two weeks’ interim bail to Al-Falah group chairman Jawed Siddiqui in a money laundering case to allow him to take care of his wife who is undergoing treatment for stage 4 ovarian cancer.
Additional Sessions Judge Sheetal Chaudhary Pradhan granted the relief to Siddiqui, noting that his wife was undergoing chemotherapy and required support during the treatment.
“After considering all the present facts and circumstances, I am of the considered view that applicant/ accused deserves to be enlarged on interim bail as the wife of applicant/ accused is unwell,” the court said in its order.
It noted that Siddiqui’s wife was undergoing chemotherapy at a Delhi hospital and that the medical documents placed on record were not disputed by the Enforcement Directorate.
It also observed that the couple’s three children were studying in the UAE and were unable to travel to India, leaving the woman without immediate family support.
“The wife of accused/ applicant requires care and support, cannot be ignored and it is also a fact that she does not have her family or children besides her and it is only the accused/ applicant being her husband who is required to give her support,” the court said.
Siddiqui, who was arrested on November 18, 2025, in the case registered by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and linked to the alleged cheating of students enrolled in institutions run by the Al Falah Charitable Trust, was granted the interim bail for two weeks on furnishing a personal bond and surety of ₹1 lakh each.
The court directed him not to leave Delhi-NCR without permission, to keep his mobile phone active, surrender his passport and not contact witnesses or the complainant during the period of release.
The ED had opposed the plea, arguing that Siddiqui was involved in serious offences and could influence the investigation, but the court said the accused has joined investigation and made no attempts to flee till date. It stated that any further apprehensions could be addressed by imposing conditions.
On February 5, the agency arrested Siddiqui on charges of forgery over alleged irregularities in the functioning of a private university. He was produced in court on Friday (March 6, 2026) after the end of his earlier 14-day judicial custody granted on January 31.
The ED probe in the money laundering case stems from two FIRs by the Delhi Police Crime Branch alleging that Al Falah University falsely projected NAAC accreditation and UGC recognition to mislead students and parents.
The ED has alleged that the university generated ₹415.10 crore between 2018 and 2025 and that funds collected from students were diverted for personal use.
The varsity had also come under scrutiny in a ‘white-collar terror’ probe in which two doctors linked to it were arrested, while another doctor, Umar-un-Nabi, associated with its hospital was identified as the suicide bomber in the November 10 blast outside Red Fort that killed 15 people.
Published – March 08, 2026 08:17 am IST
