The Delhi High Court on Wednesday, 8 July ordered the transfer of two interim bail applications filed by Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui — an accused in the Al-Falah Trust money laundering case — to the Bench of Justice Saurabh Banerjee, before whom his regular bail plea in one of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) cases is also pending. The matters are now scheduled to be taken up on Thursday.

Background of the Transfer

The two interim bail applications, arising out of separate ED cases, were originally listed before the Benches of Justice Manoj Jain and Justice Madhu Jain. Counsel appearing for Siddiqui sought consolidation before Justice Saurabh Banerjee, noting that his regular bail application in one of the ED cases was also listed before the same judge on Wednesday. Both Benches allowed the request, and the matters now stand transferred. Advocates Vishvendra Tomar, Talib Mustafa, and Abhishek Singh appeared on Siddiqui's behalf.

Grounds for Interim Bail

Siddiqui has sought interim bail on humanitarian grounds, citing that his wife, Usma Akhtar, is undergoing treatment for Stage-IV ovarian cancer and requires his care and support. Senior advocate Vikram Chaudhri, appearing for Siddiqui, submitted that Siddiqui was her primary caregiver and sought six weeks of interim relief to be present during the ongoing phase of her treatment.

The ED has opposed the plea, arguing it is not maintainable and resisting the grant of interim bail. An Additional Sessions Judge at Saket Courts had earlier dismissed Siddiqui's interim bail applications after examining his wife's medical records. In its order dated 9 June, the Special Court observed that while Akhtar's Stage-IV cancer diagnosis was undisputed, her medical records described the disease as 'stable' and recorded a 'good response to treatment' — falling short of the immediate life-threatening emergency that would warrant interim bail. The court found that Siddiqui had failed to establish that no alternative caregiver was available.

Regular Bail Hearing Scheduled

Separately, Justice Saurabh Banerjee has fixed Siddiqui's regular bail application for hearing on 29 and 30 July at 4 pm. Last month, the Delhi High Court had sought a status report from the ED on Siddiqui's plea challenging the trial court's rejection of his temporary release request. The hearing was subsequently deferred after the ED placed its status report on record.

The Al-Falah Trust Money Laundering Allegations

According to the ED, the money laundering investigation stems from multiple FIRs registered by the Delhi Police alleging cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy linked to the operations of Al-Falah University and its associated entities. The 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 proceeds of crime worth ₹493.24 crore generated between 2016-17 and 2024-25, allegedly diverted through entities linked to Siddiqui and his family members. Earlier this year, the agency attached assets worth ₹39.45 crore belonging to Al-Falah Charitable Trust and Siddiqui, in addition to university land and buildings valued at more than ₹144 crore as part of the ongoing probe.

With the regular bail hearing now fixed for late July, the case will test whether the court views the humanitarian grounds as sufficient to override the ED's objections in a matter involving alleged proceeds of crime exceeding ₹493 crore.