National
Goa Police seek narco tests on Kamat, Alemao in graft case
Panaji: Goa Police Crime Branch has sought to conduct narco-analysis test on former chief minister Digambar Kamat and the then PWD minister Churchill Alemao in the Louis Berger bribery case, an official said on Wednesday.
The state police have sought permission for the tests from the state home department. With the two political leaders, police also want former government official Anand Wachasundar to be subjected to narco-analysis test, the official said.
The lie-detector test is proposed at the central government forensic facility in Hyderabad, said a Crime Branch official who is part of the team investigating the scam.
“The accused are resisting questioning. The narco tests will help us build a more solid case of a corelation between the three accused,” the official said, requesting anonymity.
The official said a narco test would also help locate a file, currently missing, which is crucial to the investigation.
Kamat, Alemao and a former government official have been accused of accepting $976,630 (or about Rs.4.40 crore at the then ratio of $1 to Rs.45) in bribe in 2010 from officials of US-based Louis Berger consultancy firm which sought to secure implementation rights for a multi-billion-dollar water and sewerage project in Goa.
The project worth Rs.1,031 crore was funded by Japan International Co-Operation Agency and was cleared in 2010 by the Congress-led coalition government.
Third accused Anand Wachasundar, who is under arrest, is a former director of the JICA project.
Police have already named in its charge sheet Alemao, Wachasundar, James McClung (former Asia head of Louis Berger), Satyakam Mahanty (former India head of Louis Berger), Richand Soni (alleged hawala operator) and Arthur D’silva (Digambar Kamat’s aide) as accused. Kamat has been listed as a suspect.
The accused were booked under sections 120-B and 201 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 7, 8, 9 and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
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.