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Don’t report information “unverified” by police, Maldives media told
Colombo, Feb 12 (IANS) The police in Maldives on Monday asked the country’s media not to report “unverified information”, saying it could “hinder investigation” into an alleged coup that it said had led the government to declare an emergency and arrest Supreme Court judges and several opposition leaders.
“The Maldives Police Service… requests the media not to spread false information and information not verified by the police,” it said in a statement cited by Efe news.
The latest crisis in Maldives erupted after the government declared an emergency for 15 days and arrested the Chief Justice and another judge of the Supreme Court. The apex court had earlier ordered a retrial of nine opposition leaders, including the exiled former President Mohamed Nasheed. The court had said that those arrested must be released. The top court had also called for the reinstatement of 12 opposition lawmakers.
President Abdulla Yameen’s government initially said it would abide by the order but subsequently decided to disregard the ruling and claim it had thwarted a coup attempt by former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed, both under custody at the moment.
Saeed and another Supreme Court judge, Ali Hameed, were suspended from their duties last week by the Judicial Service Commission. After their arrest, the Supreme Court reversed the earlier order on the release and retrial of opposition leaders.
Maldives television channel, Raajje TV, suspended its regular broadcasts last Thursday and went off air for 56 hours “following multiple threats and intimidation from the security services”.
Raajje said the Maldives Broadcasting Commission had been taken over by the armed forces and had issued “warnings of action against the media” in the name of protecting “national security”.
In its statement, the police also said it had found large sums of money with Hameed and Judicial Administrator Hassan Saeed Hussain, who is also under arrest, which it said, proved the charges against them of an attempted coup.
So far, 30 people have been questioned and eight arrested, according to the police statement.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.