National
CBI opposes Karti Chidambaram’s plea to go abroad (Lead)
New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS) The CBI on Tuesday opposed former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram’s son Karti Chidambaram’s plea to the Supreme Court to travel aboard, saying it has serious apprehensions that he would tamper with evidence during his overseas stay.
The agency told the bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud that it has incriminating evidence against Karti Chidambaram which it had already submitted to the court in a sealed cover.
However, Karti Chidambaram, who had sought permission to go to Britain for the admission of his daughter to Cambridge, told the court that the agency should prove that he has other accounts abroad, except from the one he has already disclosed.
Stressing that “tampering is the most potential apprehension that I have”, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that it can look into the material that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has submitted.
He told the court to “listen to what he was not saying”, while contesting Karti Chidambaram’s Monday affidavit where he said that he had just one account in Britain opened in June 2016.
“I am asking the court to look into the material while running a risk that it may say the material provided was trash,” Mehta said.
Setting to rest Mehta’s apprehension, the court said in that case, “we will just say that documents produced by the CBI are not connected or relatable to the case”.
At one point during the course of the hearing, the court indicated that it would allow Karti Chidambaram to go abroad for 10 days.
At this Mehta said: “Let him go for six months, why ten days only.”
The junior Chidambaram, who was represented by senior counsel Kapil Sibal, meanwhile, contested the CBI’s claim that he has undisclosed overseas assets.
Meeting the arguments by the CBI, Sibal told the court that when the investigating agency knows about the undisclosed overseas assets and accounts of his client, it would also come to know if he tampers with them.
Invoking article 21 of the Constitution guaranteeing right to life, Sibal said: “You can prohibit” my client by law to travel abroad but “tell me under what law” since he was being treated worse than an under trial accused.
After a nearly 75 minute hearing, the court directed the matter for further hearing on Wednesday.
Karti Chidambaram is facing a probe by the CBI for his alleged role in facilitating the 2007 Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance for INX Media Ltd and taking favours for it when his father was the Union Finance Minister.
–IANS
pk/him/vd
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.