UP: ED attaches property of Abdul Waheed Educational and Charitable Trust in illegal mining case

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Lucknow Zonal Office, has provisionally attached a 121-acre land and building of Glocal University Saharanpur, worth Rs. 4,440 crore, belonging to Abdul Waheed Educational and Charitable Trust in an illegal mining case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Lucknow zonal office, has provisionally attached 121-acre land and building of Glocal University Saharanpur, worth Rs 4,440 crore, belonging to Abdul Waheed Educational and Charitable Trust in an illegal mining case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. All these properties are registered in the name of Abdul Waheed Educational and Charitable Trust. The trust is controlled, managed and run by Md. Iqbal, former MLC and his family members.

The ED initiated an investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under various sections of the IPC, 1860 and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, related to the illegal renewal of sand mining leases in District Saharanpur of Uttar Pradesh against the mining lease holders, namely Mehmood Ali, Dilshad, Mohd Inam, Mehboob Alam, Naseem Ahmad, Amit Jain, Vikas Agarwal, Mohd Wajid, Mukesh Jain, Puneet Jain, some government officials of Saharanpur and unknown persons. The ED investigation revealed that all the mining firms were owned and operated by the Mohd. Iqbal Group. These firms were involved in rampant illegal mining in Saharanpur and adjacent areas.

In spite of 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. And 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. All the trustees are family members of Mohd. Iqbal, including himself. The fund of the trust was later used for the purchase of land at Saharanpur and the construction of buildings thereupon for running a university named Glocal University.

More than Rs 500 crore earned from illegal mining were used in the buying of land and the construction of the university. The current market value of the said property is Rs 4,439 crore, including land and buildings. Currently, Md. Iqbal is absconding and believed to be in Dubai. His four sons and brother are presently lodged in jail in multiple cases registered against them.

Further investigation is in progress. (ANI)

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