National
I was asked to close case against Ram Rahim: Ex-CBI officer
By Sanu George
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 28 (IANS) A former CBI officer who nailed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh said on Monday that two senior officials a decade back handed him the case with specific orders “to close it”.
Speaking to IANS, now 67-year-old M. Narayanan, who retired in 2009 as joint director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, said he was lucky to be away from Delhi when the Dera chief’s conviction was finally taking place.
“It was in 2007 that this case was handed over to me by two senior officials and I was asked to close it,” Narayanan said. The former CBI officer said for him it was just like any other case.
“We went to his (Dera chief) place in Sirsa. Ram Rahim gave me 30 minutes time. He lives in a cave with all modern facilities. We reached there and grilled him for over three hours,” said Narayanan, who is now leading a retired life in the northern Kerala district of Kasargode.
“I will never blame the two senior officials who asked me to close the case as there was lot of pressure,” Narayanan, currently holidaying in Karnataka, told IANS.
Narayanan has been part of several high profile cases during his career, including the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, Babri Masjid demolition, Kandahar plane hijacking, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir terrorist cases.
When he was probing the Dera chief’s case, he was under pressure from several quarters. Narayanan was very cautious “as any small mistake would end up in getting a suspension”, he said.
“After hearing the verdict on August 25 (by a special CBI court in Haryana’s Panchkula), I feel justice has been done,” the former sleuth said.
“One reason why it took a long time is generally in north India courts take a long time. I am neither excited nor overly happy, as for me it was a routine work,” Narayanan said.
He remembered how in those days, while probing the terror cases, there was no mobile. He would be away for more than three months and at times even more and his wife would fret over his well being.
“She would think — If I was still alive? So all in my family knew the pressure I had to undergo,” Narayanan added.
Narayanan said the Dera chief might get a minimum of seven years imprisonment or perhaps even a life sentence.
–IANS
sg/in/rn
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.