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Salman bail plea: All eyes on Justice A. M. Thipsay
Mumbai: All attention is focused on Justice A. M. Thipsay of Bombay High Court before whom Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s bail plea will come up for hearing shortly after 11 a.m. here on Friday.
The hearing is crucial for the actor since it is the final working day of the high court before it goes for annual summer vacations till June 8.
Salman was found guilty and sentenced to five years in imprisonment on Wednesday by Additonal Sessions Judge D. W. Deshpande, in the September 2002 accident case in Bandra which had left one person killed and injuring four other pavement dwellers.
Shortly after the verdict, the actor moved Bombay High Court where Justice Thipsay granted him two-day interim bail on medical and other grounds.
In a sudden development, Salman’s defence team decided to field senior high court lawyer Amit Desai to represent him in the high court today (May 8).
Earlier, senior Supreme Court lawyer Harish Salve — who argued the interim bail application two days ago — was expected to appear on behalf of the actor.
However, Salman, who has been on bail since nearly 13 years, is not likely to be present in the court on Friday.
Well-known criminal lawyer J. P. Mishra said that in all such cases, the first appeal is “a matter of right” of any accused pending disposal of the appeal.
“Since Salman Khan is appealing against the Sessions Court order, getting bail will be his natural right,” Mishra told IANS.
Mishra is renowned for fighting the anti-corruption case trial of 1990s against the former Maharashtra chief minister and union minister A. R. Antulay, who died December 2014.
Last Wednesday’s interim bail had come hours after Salman was found guilty and subsequently sentenced to five years in jail, plus a fine of Rs.25,000 by Additional Sessions Judge Deshpande.
In the significant verdict, Judge Deshpande pronounced him guilty on all the prosecution charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, rash and drunken driving, driving without a valid licence and other laws.
The ruling came in the 13-year-old accident case when Salman’s Toyota Land Cruiser rammed into a bakery in Bandra west in the early hours of September 28, 2002, killing one pavement dweller and injuring four others, a short distance from his sea-facing home in Galaxy Apartments.
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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.