New Delhi, June 17 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought a status report from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on an interim bail plea filed by the Al-Falah Trust money laundering case accused Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui, who has sought six weeks’ temporary release on the ground that his wife is undergoing treatment for cancer.
A single-judge bench of Justice Madhu Jain issued notice to the federal anti-money laundering agency after Siddiqui approached the Delhi High Court challenging a trial court order rejecting his plea for temporary release.
Appearing for Siddiqui, senior advocate Vikram Chaudhri submitted that his wife, Usma Akhtar, is undergoing treatment for Stage-IV ovarian cancer and requires continuous care and support.
Seeking six weeks’ interim bail, Siddiqui contended that he was the primary caregiver and needed to be with his wife during the ongoing course of treatment.
Opposing the plea, the ED said before the Delhi High Court that the petition was not maintainable and resisted the grant of interim bail.
The matter will be taken up after the federal financial agency files its response.
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 noted that the couple’s adult children could travel to India to provide support if required.
The court order recorded 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 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 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.
Senior advocate Vikram Chaudhri, along with advocates Vishvendra Tomar, Abhishek Singh and Talib Mustafa, represented the petitioner before the Delhi High Court.
–IANS
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