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Kasauli woman officer’s ‘killer’ sent to police remand

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Shimla/Kasauli, May 4 (IANS) A court in Kasauli of Himachal Pradesh on Friday sent a hotelier to a five-day police remand for allegedly shooting down a woman town planner executing a Supreme Court-ordered demolition drive.

“Accused Vijay Singh was taken to the crime spot and the licensed pistol he had used to commit the crime has also been recovered,” acting Superintendent of Police Shiv Kumar told reporters.

The accused was arrested from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday evening — two days after the crime.

On May 1, Assistant Town Planner Shaila Bala Sharma, 51, was shot dead by Narayani Guest House owner Vijay Singh during the demolition drive in Kasauli town in Solan district.

Police officials said the accused, who was not using his mobile phone since the murder, had shaved off his moustache to conceal his identity. He was using mobile of strangers to establish contact with his family.

Vijay Singh shot dead the official when she insisted on executing the apex court order to demolish illegal constructions at his guest house.

After shooting the official, Vijay Singh, a Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board employee who was on leave for three weeks, disappeared into a nearby forest from where he managed to flee in the night.

Admitting negligence on the first day of demolition of 13 illegal constructions at hotels and resorts, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said: “There should be adequate deployment of police at the demolition site. The police at the time of crime was stationed in a nearby hotel.”

“We have submitted a status report in the Supreme Court. Another status report will be submitted in the court on May 9 (the next date of hearing),” Thakur told reporters in Shimla.

But the demolitions would continue, he added.

Earlier, Thakur said illegal constructions in Kasauli and other areas were carried out during the previous Congress government in the state.

On Thursday, the apex court ordered the Himachal government to file an affidavit by May 9, detailing the progress in the murder probe.

A bench headed by Justice Madan B. Lokur said the affidavit should contain details of action taken to demolish illegal constructions and steps to prevent unauthorised constructions in future.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the official’s killing, the Supreme Court had on Wednesday pulled up the state authorities for failure to ensure the safety of officers implementing its orders.

The apex court had on April 17 ordered the demolition of illegal constructions, saying the life of people could not be endangered for making money.

After the apex court rap over negligence in handling of the demolitions, the government transferred Solan Superintendent of Police Mohit Chawla and his deputy Ramesh Sharma to police headquarters.

Additional Superintendent of Police Shiv Kumar was given the additional charge of the Superintendent of Police, while Ajay Rana has been made the new Deputy Superintendent of Police.

The government also decided to confer Himachal Gaurav Purskar on the deceased town planner and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to her family who would be entitled for salary for her remaining service period.

–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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