New Delhi: Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday challenged in Delhi High Court the two-week interim bail granted to Al Falah University group chairman Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui in a money laundering case, arguing that the trial court failed to consider his alleged involvement in the Red Fort blast case.Appearing before Justice Saurabh Banerjee, ED contended that ill health of Siddiqui’s wife was merely a “ruse” to secure relief and that the trial court’s order was perverse and contrary to the mandate of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).The agency also argued that the trial court’s observation that the couple’s children could not return to India due to the ongoing crisis in West Asia was contrary to ground reality, noting that international travel continued daily.The high court issued notice to Siddiqui and listed the matter for further hearing on March 19.Last week, the trial court granted Siddiqui interim bail for two weeks in a money laundering case linked to the alleged generation of illicit funds through fees paid by students of his Faridabad-based educational institution. The court took a humanitarian view, allowing him to attend to his wife, who is undergoing treatment for stage IV ovarian cancer.Seeking cancellation of the bail, the ED said the accused’s children could have returned if the situation was truly grave.“Antecedents of this person were ignored. He is an accused in the Red Fort blast case and has links with individuals involved,” the agency argued.Siddiqui’s counsel, however, defended the order, calling the case a “misuse of PMLA” and insisting he was not involved in the alleged offences.
