National
HC admits appeals of Dera chief, rape victims; notice to CBI
Chandigarh, Oct 9 (IANS) The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday admitted an appeal by Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh against his conviction for two rapes and a plea by his two female disciples for conversion of his 20-year sentence to life imprisonment.
The High Court, however, rejected Ram Rahim’s plea regarding a fine of over Rs 30 lakh imposed on him by the CBI court, and directed him to deposit the amount in a fixed deposit in a bank. The amount will not be given to the rape victims till the matter is decided by the court.
Taking up both the appeals, the High Court issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which had probed the rape allegations against the Dera chief.
A Special Court in Panchkula, adjoining Chandigarh, had on August 25 convicted the Dera chief for the rape of his two women disciples in 1999 and sentenced him to 10-year imprisonment each, which were to run consecutively.
In their petition in the High Court here, the two ‘sadhvis’ said the 10-year jail term handed over to the Dera chief for each rape was not enough and he should be sentenced to a life term.
The women pointed out that in rape cases where a person in a position of authority or power misuses that position to commit rape, he should be given the maximum punishment of life imprisonment.
They pointed out that a lesser punishment “will not achieve the ends of justice”.
“Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh as the head of a religious organisation had committee a grave breach of trust and he was called ‘Pita ji’ (father),” the petition stated. “Abusing his position as a religious head, in whom the followers had blind faith, he committed rape on the victims,” the petitioners added.
Under new law provisions introduced after the 2012 gang rape and murder of Nirbhaya in Delhi, a person in position of power and trust faces a maximum of life imprisonment for rape.
On the other hand, Ram Rahim challenged the CBI court’s verdict to convict him for rape and handing him 20-year rigorous imprisonment last month in the High Court.
He is currently lodged at the District Jail at Sunaria near Rohtak in Haryana.
His conviction led to violence in Panchkula and Sirsa in Haryana, leaving 38 people dead and 264 injured. Isolated incidents of violence were also reported from Delhi and several other places in Punjab.
The CBI court in Panchkula is hearing two more cases against the sect chief — murder of former Dera manager Ranjit Singh in July 2003 and murder of Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati in October 2002.
–IANS
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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.