National
Punjab Police hints at Dera connection in Maur Mandi blast
Chandigarh, Feb 9 (IANS) Just over a year after a powerful blast in a car in Maur Mandi town left seven persons dead, Punjab Police was said to be close to cracking the case and hinted at a connection with controversial Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
Police sources told IANS on Friday that investigations were in the final phase and raids were on to nab a few suspects, including a mechanic earlier based at the dera headquarters on the outskirts of Sirsa town in Haryana.
Punjab Police got the statements of four persons recorded before a Duty Magistrate in Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district on Thursday regarding the car in which the explosives used in the blast were planted.
Police officials said that the four witnesses had approached police nearly a year after the blast, claiming they could identify the car used in the blast, in which four children were among the dead. They pointed out that the car was assembled at a workshop close to the dera campus days ahead of the blast.
Punjab Police investigators had hinted that the powerful blast was caused by high-intensity IEDs (improvised explosive devices) packed inside a pressure cooker.
The blast took place just moments after a political rally by Congress candidate Harminder Singh Jassi at Bathinda district’s Maur Mandi town, 200 km from here, on January 31 last year.
Jassi is a relative of rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh since Jassi’s daughter is married to Ram Rahim’s son. Jassi was accorded Z category security following the blast.
Deputy Inspector General R.S. Khatra said witnesses in the case were key to the probe. He said the case would be cracked and more arrests made soon.
–IANS
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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.