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Kejriwal’s nephew arrested in PWD scam, AAP-BJP trade charges (Roundup)
New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) The Anti-Corruption Branch on Thursday arrested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s nephew Vinay Bansal in an alleged scam totalling Rs 6 crore in the Public Works Department (PWD).
Bansal was arrested from his residence in Pitampura in west Delhi in the morning, after he failed to give satisfactory replies on firm Mahadeo Impacts, Special Commissioner of Police and ACB chief Arvind Deep said.
Bansal was later sent in one-day judicial custody on Thursday after he was presented in a Tis Hazari court here. Deep told IANS that Bansal will be presented in court again at 11 a.m. on Friday to seek his police custody.
Informed sources told IANS that Bansal fainted in the court room, but a senior police officer said that he “feigned illness” and was later taken to Aruna Asaf Ali Hospital for a check-up.
Delhi BJP President Manoj Tiwari sought Kejriwal’s resignation over the arrest, while the ruling Aam Aadmi Party hit back by dubbing the arrest a “part of the BJP’s vendetta politics”.
“Kejriwal has lost all moral right to rule and if he has any morality left then he should resign,” Tiwari said.
Vinay Bansal, the son of Kejriwal’s late brother-in-law Surender Bansal, was a partner in a firm alleged to be involved in the scam.
“The ACB registered an FIR on May 8, 2017 after a complaint that Surender Bansal got a tender below 46 per cent on behalf of company Renu Construction, on the estimated cost of Rs 4.9 lakh,” Deep said.
“It was also mentioned in the complaint that the quality of iron and cement supplied were not up to the mark. During the probe, it was found that iron and cement were brought from Mahadeo Impacts, which was later found to be non-existent. Vinay Bansal was a partner with his father in Mahadeo Impacts,” Deep claimed.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that for the last three years, the Delhi Police and the ACB were being used by the Lt Governor and the central government for arresting AAP leaders.
He added that Bansal was doing projects with the Delhi government even before the Kejriwal government came to power and the present case was about a contract Bansal had won before the AAP came to power.
“This is part of a chain of arrests against AAP MLAs,” Sisodia said, adding this would be exposed in the court.
“The good thing is that there’s justice in this country and when cases go to court it goes against police. Police is asked why you did it,” Sisodia said.
Sisodia said that IIT-Roorkee had done a third-party audit as per the terms of the project and submitted a report and the PWD had also said that the work was done well.
“After the complaint, the ACB got a separate inquiry conducted by Sri Ram Labs which also said that the work was satisfactory,” Sisodia said.
In May 2017, AAP rebel leader Kapil Mishra raised the issue following a whistleblower’s revelations.
Surender Bansal, who ran a company that worked with the PWD for many years, died the same day Mishra raised the issue and filed the complaint.
–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.