National
SC stays execution of death sentence of 1993 Mumbai blast convict
New Delhi, Dec 4 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the execution of death sentence of 1993 Mumbai bomb blast convict Taher Mohammed Merchant who was found guilty on different counts including hatching conspiracy and waging war against the nation.
Merchant, along with Feroze Abdul Rashid Khan, was given the death sentence after being convicted along with underworld don Abu Salem. However, the latter escaped the capital punishment because of conditions surrounding his extradition from Portugal.
“There shall be stay of the execution of death sentence,” said a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice Mohan M. Shantanagoudar, directing the supply of the order’s copy to the Central Bureau of Investigation and listing the matter for hearing on March 14 next year.
The court also directed its registry to call for the lower court records and ordered Maharashtra to “compile the evidence in entirety and file the compilation in convenient volumes” and also serve a copy thereof to Merchant’s counsel.
On September 7 this year, a special Terrorist and Disruptive Activity (TADA) court had sentenced Merchant and Feroze Abdul Rashid Khan to death.
Besides Abu Salem, the TADA court had sent Karimullah Khan to jail for life and Riyaz Siddiqui to 10 years rigorous imprisonment.
The court had found them guilty on various counts including murder, hatching a criminal conspiracy to carry out the blasts, waging a war against the nation, supplying arms and ammunition, and other serious offences.
The capital punishments were given in the second part of the Mumbai blasts trial. The earlier part of the trial, completed in 2007, saw 100 people being convicted which included Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt and prime accused Tiger Memon.
Dutt, who was convicted for illegal possession of arms but acquitted of the other serious charges, has since completed his six-year sentence while Memon is absconding.
–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.