The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached land measuring 121 acres and the building of Glocal University worth ₹4,400 crore as part of its money laundering probe against former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) lawmaker Mohammad Iqbal and his family. Iqbal, a former member of UP legislative council, is currently absconding and is believed to be in Dubai, according to ED. Look out circulars have been issued against him. The agency revealed that the Saharanpur-based Glocal University was registered in the name of Abdul Waheed Educational and Charitable Trust, controlled by Mohammed Iqbal and his family. Established in 2012, the university started functioning from the academic session 2013-14. HT reached out to Glocal University for comment but received no response. The money laundering case being investigated by ED is linked to illegal renewal of sand mining leases in Saharanpur, with a number of mining lease holders, government officials, and unknown individuals listed as accused in the FIR. All the mining firms involved in illegal mining were owned by Mohammad Iqbal group, despite meager earnings shown in the ITRs, large transactions were found between the mining firms and group companies of Mohd Iqbal. Funds were allegedly routed through multiple sham entities and bogus transactions to the bank accounts of Abdul Waheed Educational and Charitable Trust for the purchase of land at Saharanpur and construction of buildings for Glocal University. The funds used total more than ₹500 crore earned from illegal mining, and the present market value of the property is estimated at ₹4439 Crore. Iqbal’s four sons and brother are currently in jail in multiple cases, ED stated.
