In a shocking development, the Enforcement Directorate has uncovered a sophisticated land fraud scheme while investigating terror funding connections to the Red Fort bomb blast case. The probe has revealed that prime land in Madanpur Khadar, Delhi, was illegally acquired using forged documents of people who had been dead for years.
The Land Fraud Mechanism
Investigators discovered that a forged General Power of Attorney was created in the names of individuals who had died between 1972 and 1998. This document was subsequently used to transfer their land to Tarbia Education Foundation, a trust where Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui, chancellor of Faridabad-based Al-Falah University, serves as director.
According to senior officials familiar with the ED probe, the fraudulent GPA was registered in 2004, despite the actual landowners having passed away much earlier. The document falsely showed the deceased individuals signing over their property rights to Vinod Kumar, who then sold these lands to the foundation in 2013.
Victims and Timeline of the Scam
The investigation has identified several deceased persons whose identities were misused for this land grab. The list includes Nathu of Madanpur Khadar who died in 1972, Harbans Singh of Tehkhand who passed away in 1991, Harkesh of Okhla Phase-2 who died in 1993, and Shiv Dayal and Jay Ram of Tughlakabad who both died in 1998.
Family members of these deceased landowners have been fighting legal battles since 2015 to reclaim their fraudulently acquired properties. The ED is currently examining these claims as part of their comprehensive investigation into the financial irregularities.
Connection to Terror Funding Probe
This land scam emerged during the ED's investigation into terror funding related to the Red Fort bomb blast that occurred on November 10. The probe gained significance after it was discovered that the suicide bomber, Dr Umar Un Nabi, was a teaching faculty member at Al-Falah University and had planned multiple blasts across Delhi with other doctor colleagues from the institution.
While a terror module involving doctors and university workers has been busted, investigative agencies have not directly linked Siddiqui or his university to the Delhi blast. However, Siddiqui has been in ED custody since November 19 regarding financial irregularities at Al-Falah University.
This isn't Siddiqui's first encounter with legal authorities. He was previously arrested in connection with an alleged fraud linked to a deposit scheme he operated in his hometown of Mhow in Madhya Pradesh.
The investigation continues to unfold as ED officials piece together the complex web of financial transactions and property transfers that may have facilitated terror activities in the national capital region.
