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ED to move HC against appellate tribunal order in Mallya case
New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will appeal in the Delhi High Court against an appellate tribunal’s order to release flats attached as part of an ED probe against fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya and Karnataka-based UBHL, the agency said on Sunday.
The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Appellate Tribunal in Delhi on Saturday ordered the release of flats owned by NRI Vivek Mathias and Biocon CMD Kiran Mazumdar Shaw in Kingfisher Towers, a housing project of Mallya in Bengaluru.
“The ED will soon appeal against the tribunal order regarding attachment of United Breweries Holding Limited (UBHL) assets in (about Rs 9,000 crore) bank fraud case against Kingfisher Airlines Ltd (now defunct) and its owner Vijay Mallya,” an ED statement said.
The ED said “it had attached UBHL’s properties after proper verification”.
During investigation before the attachment, the ED clarified, UBHL had stated, with respect to the flats at Kingfisher Towers, that “no sale deed was executed nor registered” with the registrar of properties.
“Thus, all the properties vest with UBHL. Accordingly, the same was attached provisionally and the adjudicating authority went through the evidences and confirmed provisional attachments,” said the statement.
The ED said that Kingfisher Airlines was a 100 per cent subsidiary of UBHL which had given corporate guarantee on behalf of the airline for obtaining loan.
“Investigations also revealed that substantial portions of loans obtained by Kingfisher Airlines was siphoned overseas under various pretexts. Therefore, UBHL being a corporate guarantor, its properties were attached under PMLA which allows for such attachments on the basis of value equivalent if proceeds of crime are not available,” the statement added.
The ED in 2016 registered an FIR against Mallya — currently holed up in the United Kingdom — UBHL and others under the PMLA. Consequently, the agency attached some properties belonging to Mallya and UBHL, including under-construction flats in Kingfisher Towers.
Mathias — a Monaco-based businessman — and Shaw, who heads one of the Bengaluru-based premier biopharmaceutical companies, had purchased some flats in the Kingfisher Towers, way back in 2012.
After ED seized their flats, they had approached the appellate tribunal seeking release of their flats.
The ED, however, had alleged before the tribunal that certain persons, including Mathias and Shaw, who were friends of Mallya, had helped him in money laundering by purchasing the flats.
But the tribunal on Saturday pulled up the ED for not complying with its statutory duties, slamming it for its failure in establishing any collusion of Mathias and Shaw with Mallya, and any evidence on record to show money laundering in the purchase of the flats.
–IANS
rak/tsb/sed
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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.