National
Rajiv Gandhi killing: SC seeks Centre’s response on convict’s plea
New Delhi, Nov 14 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought within two weeks the Centre’s response on a plea by A.G. Perarivalan, a convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination conspiracy case, for suspension of his sentence.
The convict pleaded that his sentence should be suspended since the Central Bureau of Investigation’s Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) was yet to conclude its probe into the conspiracy behind the making of a bomb (Improvised Explosive Device) that killed the former Prime Minister on May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu.
A bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Navin Sinha asked the Centre to respond.
Perarivalan was convicted for supplying two nine-volt batteries used in the IED used in Gandhi’s assassination by a suicide bomber from the LTTE.
The court was told that the MDMA was set up 18 years ago to probe the larger conspiracy, including the origin and make of IED, and investigations had not concluded till date.
Perarivalan’s counsel Gopal Shankarnarayan told the court that the one of the primary purposes of constituting the MDMA was to investigate the larger conspiracy, trace the origin and make of the IED used but the CBI had not been able to conclude its investigation.
Perarivalan has already spent 26 years in jail. He was awarded death sentence, which was commuted by the top court in February 2014, on grounds of long delay in deciding his and other death row convicts’ mercy petition by the President.
Perarivalan’s plea for the suspension of his sentence is based on an affidavit by the then CBI Superintendent of Police V. Thiagarajan which says that Perarivalan did admit during interrogation that he had supplied the two batteries used in the IED but he had no clue about their use and larger conspiracy to assassinate the former Prime Minister.
The top court had, on August 17, directed the Centre to inform it about investigations into the conspiracy behind the making of the belt bomb carried by the suicide bomber, a young woman identified as Dhanu.
“What is the result of the re-investigation or further investigation on this aspect? Kindly address us on this. We want only this,” the court told the government counsel.
The court on May 1 asked the CBI to give a time frame within which it would complete the investigation into the larger conspiracy into the assassination.
–IANS
pk/tsb/mr
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.