National
SIT probe needed Loya’s death as ‘serious questions unanswered’: Congress (Lead)
New Delhi, Jan 31 (IANS) The Congress on Wednesday demanded a Supreme Court-monitored Special Investigation Team probe into the “suspicious” death of judge B.H. Loya in December 2014, saying there seemed to be a “cover-up” and “some serious questions were unanswered”.
Addressing a press conference here, Congress leader Kapil Sibal said the party was putting out some hitherto unknown “facts” in the public domain, including that Justice Loya, who was holding the trial into the alleged staged shootout death of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and two others, had told a lawyer-activist in a video conversation about “a draft order” which he was being “pressurised to sign”.
BJP President Amit Shah was an accused in the case but later acquitted.
Sibal also said that two people, who were present at the time of video call, had died in “strange” circumstances.
“This is happening in India. If the lawyer community which stands to defend people’s rights, if that is targeted, where judges who are adjudicating on serious issues, if they are targeted, how will be democracy be saved.
“This issue of democracy being in danger was also raised by the four judges of the Supreme Court,” Sibal added, referring to the four senior-most judges’ allegation that the apex court administration was not in order.
Sibal, who was joined by lawyer and activist Satish Uke, said ahead of Loya’s death in Nagpur, his police security was withdrawn, there was no travel record of his visit and there was no entry of his name in the VIP guest house there.
He said Uke came to him in July 2017 but he did not share at that time what the lawyer told him that Nagpur lawyer Shrikant Khandalkar and retired district judge Prakash Thombre had come to Uke in 2014 and told him that Loya wanted to talk to him as he wants to act impartially in an important case that is in his court and is keen to divert “the pressure he is facing”.
A video call was later facilitated between Loya and Uke when the judge said told him that he was under heavy pressure, said Sibal, adding that Uke and Thombre came to Delhi to seek legal help but went back disappointed after being told by a senior advocate that there was not enough evidence to move the court.
He said that in October 2015, Khandalkar phoned Uke to tell him that he was getting death threats and was allegedly killed next month, with his family terming it a conspiracy and murder.
Sibal said that next year, Thombre told Uke his life was in danger and named two people before dying in an accident on a train in May 2016, adding that these incidents “tell a strange tale”. He added that in June 2016, tonnes of iron suddenly fell on the roof of Uke’s office.
“When journalists are facing danger, lawyers are facing danger, judges are facing danger, there is a danger to democracy,” Sibal said, demanding the whole matter should be referred to an independent SIT which should not have any Central Bureau of Investigation or National Investigation Agency officer.
He said the party would protest in every village if an independent probe was not ordered.
“Injustice is being done, something is being shown, some people are being protected… This has never happened in the history of India,” he said.
Uke, who also addressed the media, said that there were several discrepancies in Loya’s post-mortem.
–IANS
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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.
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