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HC asks government to maintain status quo on Herald House (Lead)
New Delhi, Nov 15 (IANS) In a relief to the Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the Delhi High Court in an interim direction on Thursday said status quo should be maintained until November 22 at the Herald House from where the National Herald newspaper is published.
Justice Sunil Gaur’s order came on a plea filed by AJL challenging the Centre’s October 30 direction that the Herald House be vacated.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured the court that it will follow court’s direction and maintain status quo till November 22, the next date of hearing.
The court asked the government to present relevant documents of the case.
The AJL alleged that the Centre was “illegally, unconstitutionally, arbitrarily and in a deliberate attempt” trying “to suppress and destroy the legacy of the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru”.
The Urban Development Ministry had said the Herald House’s 56-year-old lease to AJL had ended and asked the AJL to vacate the premises by November 15.
AJL’s counsel and senior advocate Abhishek M. Singhvi told the court that two officials of the Land and Development Office have entered the National Herald premises.
Mehta, refuting the claim, said that he will look into the matter.
The court said the Land and Development Office cannot take possession in such a way and will have to follow proper procedure under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act.
The government on Thursday assured the court that it would not take possession of the premises but it wants to initiate legal proceedings to have the building vacated.
The publisher had approached the High Court on November 12 challenging the October 30 order of the Urban Development Ministry, ending its 56-year-old lease and asking it to vacate the premises by November 15.
The AJL told the court that it had been publishing the National Herald newspaper for decades. There was a temporary suspension due to financial trouble, but the newspaper and its digital media operations had fully resumed.
The weekly ‘National Herald on Sunday’ was resumed on September 24, 2017 and it is published from the Herald House. On October 14, the AJL resumed its weekly Hindi newspaper.
The government reportedly inspected the premises a few months ago and found that the area allotted to AJL was not being used for the publication of the newspaper for the past 10 years, the court was told.
AJL said those who came for inspection did not visit the rooms where the printing press was installed along with stocks of papers.
Countering the allegation of becoming Young Indian as a shareholder of AJL, Singhvi told the court the change in shareholding does not mean that the property has been transferred to Young Indian, and that AJL still owns the premises.
He said AJL remains the leaseholder of the building and that the addition of a new shareholder does not in any way violate the lease conditions nor does it constitute sale or transfer of the property.
–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.