ED attaches ex-MLC’s Glocal varsity property
An ED official informed that the property was registered in the name of Abdul Waheed Educational and Charitable Trust, which was controlled, managed and run by the former MLC and his family members. He said the investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered by Central Bureau of India, (CBI) New Delhi under various sections of IPC, 1860 and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 related to illegal renewal of sand mining leases in Saharanpur district of west UP against the mining lease holders.
LUCKNOW The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Lucknow zonal office has provisionally attached 121 acres of land and building of former MLC Mohd Iqbal’s Saharanpur-based Glocal University, worth ₹4,440 crore. The property belonging to Abdul Waheed Educational and Charitable Trust has been atached in an illegal mining case under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, as per senior ED officials in Lucknow on Friday.
Sharing a press note, an ED official informed that the property was registered in the name of Abdul Waheed Educational and Charitable Trust, which was controlled, managed and run by the former MLC and his family members. He said the investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered by Central Bureau of India, (CBI) New Delhi under various sections of IPC, 1860 and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 related to illegal renewal of sand mining leases in Saharanpur district of west UP against the mining lease holders.
He said those accused in the FIR were Mehmood Ali and Mohd Inam, son of late Abdul Wahid, Dilshad, Mehboob Alam (since expired), Naseem Ahmad, Vikas Agarwal, Mohd Wajid, Narendra Kumar and his three sons Puneet Jain, Amit Jain and Mukesh Jain, some government officials of Saharanpur and some unknown persons. He said the ED investigation revealed that all the mining firms were owned and operated by Mohd Iqbal group.
The ED official said these firms were involved in rampant illegal mining in Saharanpur and adjacent areas. “Despite the meagre earnings shown in the ITRs, high value transactions to the tune of crores of rupees have been found between the mining firms and group companies of Mohd Iqbal without having any business relations. Ultimately all the funds were routed to the bank account of Abdul Waheed Educational and Charitable Trust, Saharanpur through multiple sham entities and bogus transactions, in the form of unsecured loans and donations,” the official emphasised.
He said that all the trustees were family members of Mohd Iqbal, including himself. He said the fund of the trust was later utlilized for purchase of land in Saharanpur and construction of buildings there on for running Glocal University. He said more than ₹500 crore earned from illegal mining was used in purchasing land and construction of the university buildings.
He said the present market value of the said property was ₹4439 crore, including land and building. Mohd Iqbal was absconding currently and believed to be living in Dubai while his four sons and brother were presently lodged in jail in multiple cases registered against them, he said, adding that further investigation was underway .
