National
Jayalalithaa acquitted in illegal assets case
Bengaluru: In a huge relief to former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, a special bench of the Karnataka High Court on Monday acquitted her in Rs.66.65 crore illegal assets case in which a lower court earlier convicted and sentenced here to four years in jail.
Pronouncing the much awaited verdict on the appeal by 67-year-old Jayalalithaa filed on October 8 against the September 27 trial court judgment, Justice C.R. Kumaraswamy quashed all the charges on which she was convicted, sentenced and fined Rs.100 crore, as they were not “sustainable”.
“Justice has won,” Jayalalithaa said in her first comments after the court verdict. “The judgment signifies that justice has won,” she said, adding that the judgment had cleared her of the charges “levelled by my political enemies”.
Allowing the appeal and dismissing the prosecution’s charges against Jayalalithaa, the judge ordered the lower court to release her assets confiscated during the case, which dragged on for 18 years in Tamil Nadu and in Karnataka after the Supreme Court transferred it to Bengaluru in November 2002.
The judge also acquitted Jayalalithaa’s three co-convicts, sentenced to four years in jail and fined Rs.10 crore each for amassing wealth disproportionate to their sources of income during her first term as the chief minister 1991-96.
Three co-convicts are Sasikala Natarajan, her nephew V.N. Sudhakaran and her aunt J. Ellavarsi. Sudhakaran is also the foster son of Jayalalithaa whom she later disowned.
As the judgment ran into 920 pages, the judge read only the operative part of the verdict. “All the appeals have been upheld and the convicts have been acquitted,” Justice Kumaraswamy said in the packed court hall.
The apex court on October 17, 2014, granted an interim bail till December 18 to the AIADMK chief and the three co-convicts by suspending her sentence and subsequently extended the bail till May 12, 2015.
Jayalalithaa spent three weeks from September 27 to October 17 in the central jail on the city’s outskirts after the high court rejected her bail petition on October 7 and till the apex court granted her interim bail on October 17.
“Justice has prevailed. We are relieved our amma (mother) has been acquitted of all charges, including amassing wealth illegally. Jayalalithaa is now free to return as the chief minister for a record fourth time,” her counsel told IANS.
Meanwhile, hundreds of supporters and cadres of the AIADMK greeted the verdict with loud cheers, bursting of fire crackers and dancing outside Cubbon Park, 1 km away from the high court complex.
Near the court area, any gathering of more than five people, victory rallies or protest demonstrations were banned and entry was restricted to maintain law and order.
About a dozen lawyers of Jayalalithaa distributed sweets and exchanged greetings with her supporters and party leaders outside the court hall No.14 amid jubilant scenes and wild celebrations.
About 1,000 policemen, including senior officers, expressed relief that the verdict was pronounced early and they did not have to use force to dispel the crowds, as they melted away from the vicinity as it was a favourable one.
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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