Landmark Seizure: ED Locks Down Glocal University Assets Worth Rs. 4,440 Crore in Illegal Mining Saga
(Judicial Quest News Network)
Lucknow June 14: In a seismic move, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Lucknow Zonal Office, has taken decisive action, provisionally attaching a sprawling 121-acre expanse of land and buildings belonging to Glocal University Saharanpur. Valued at a staggering Rs. 4,440 Crore, these properties are under the ownership of the Abdul Waheed Educational and Charitable Trust, ensnared in an intricate web of illegal mining operations.
The Trust, purportedly under the control and management of Md. Iqbal, an erstwhile Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), and his kin, now finds itself at the center of a storm unleashed by ED’s investigation.
Triggered by a FIR filed by the CBI New Delhi, citing various sections of the IPC, 1860, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, ED’s probe into the murky world of sand mining lease renewals in Saharanpur district (U.P) exposed a labyrinth of deceit. The leaseholders, including Mehmood Ali, Dilshad, Mohd Inam, and others, in connivance with government officials and unidentified entities, orchestrated a scheme of illegal mining operations.
Unraveling the intricate threads of deception, ED’s investigation laid bare the truth: all mining enterprises were effectively subsidiaries of the Mohd. Iqbal group. Despite paltry declared earnings, transactions worth millions flowed between these firms and Iqbal’s conglomerates, without any legitimate business ties. The ill-gotten gains, laundered through a maze of sham entities and fictitious transactions, ultimately found their way into the coffers of the Abdul Waheed Educational and Charitable Trust.
Behind the veneer of philanthropy lay a stark reality: all trustees, including Md. Iqbal himself, were complicit in the scheme. Funds earmarked for education were tainted by the spoils of illegal mining, with over Rs. 500 Crore diverted towards acquiring land and erecting structures for Glocal University.
As the saga unfolds, Md. Iqbal remains at large, reportedly seeking refuge in Dubai, while his progeny and sibling languish in incarceration, ensnared in a web of legal battles.
The provisional attachment of Glocal University’s assets stands as a watershed moment in the fight against corruption, a testament to ED’s unwavering commitment to upholding the rule of law.
