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French supermarket attacker’s friend held, toll now 4 (Lead)

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Paris, March 24 (IANS) Police in France arrested a second person for Friday’s attacks by a gunman, which led to the death of four people.

A report by state-run France Info radio said the young man, born in 2000 and a friend of the gunman, Redouane Lakdim, was placed in custody.

Lakdim began his rampage by hijacking a car in the southern French town of Carcassone. He shot one passenger dead and injured the driver.

In Carcassone, he also fired at jogging police officers, injuring one, before driving to nearby Trebes. He stormed a supermarket there, telling the 50-odd people inside that he was “a soldier of the Islamic State” and was seeking “to liberate brothers”.

Later, 25-year-old attacker Lakdim was shot dead by the police. He was initially believed to have acted alone.

The death toll climbed to four after a police officer who voluntarily took the place of a hostage during the supermarket siege died on Saturday, the BBC reported.

Lt. Col. Arnaud Beltrame, 44, “fell as a hero” and showed “exceptional courage”, French President Emmanuel Macron said.

Col. Beltrame’s death was announced on Twitter by French Interior Minister Gérard Collomb. In a radio interview, Col. Beltrame’s brother, Cedric, said Arnaud’s actions were “beyond the call of duty”.

“He gave his life for strangers. He must have known that he didn’t really have a chance. If that doesn’t make him a hero, I don’t know what would,” he said.

Earlier, Macron had revealed that Col. Beltrame suffered serious injuries and was fighting for his life in hospital. Sixteen people were injured, two seriously, in what Macron called an act of “Islamist terrorism”.

Lakdim was said to have demanded the release of Salah Abdeslam, a key surviving suspect in the November 2015 attacks in Paris, which killed 130 people.

Initially, an 18-year-old woman was taken into custody for criminal association.

Lakdim was known to police for robbery and drug trafficking. He had been on the terror watch list since 2014 for links to the Salafist movements but had not showed any signs suggesting he would plan a terror attack, Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins said.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack. French security services were checking the claim’s authenticity.

–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

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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.

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