National
PNB scam accused sent in 14-day police custody (Lead)
Mumbai, Feb 17 (IANS) A Special CBI Court on Saturday remanded in police custody till March 3 the three accused arrrested in the over Rs 11,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam.
These are retired PNB Deputy Manager Gokulnath Shetty, Single Window Operator Manoj Kharat, and authorised signatory of prime accused Nirav Modi’s group companies Hemant Bhatt.
Seeking police remand for the maximum period of the accused, a Central Bureau of Investigation’s counsel said investigators need to recover certain important documents and records pertaining to the case, unravel the modus operandi of the fraudsters and zero in on the exact magnitude of the crime.
The CBI contended that the fraud is estimated to be around Rs 6,000 crore, much more than the Rs 280 crore reported by the PNB, which has played havoc with the country’s banking system.
Moreover, it said, accused Kharat was reportedly not cooperating with investigators and hence their custodial interrogation was required.
The Special Court observed that the charges leveled against the accused were “very serious” and sent them in police custody.
Kharat’s lawyer Kudrat Shaikh said his client was merely a Clerk who drafted letters under pressure from his superior Shetty.
Accordingly, he had no role to play in the scam, he said.
The three accused were the first ones to be arrested in the sensational case by the CBI from different parts of Mumbai and Raigad.
Besides, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has named 10 other directors and officials as accused.
They are Krishnan Sangameshwaran, Nazura Yashjaney, Gopal Das Bhatia, Aniyath Shivraman, Dhanesh Vrajlal Sheth, Jyoti Bharat Vora, Anil Umesh Haldipur, Chandrakant Kanu Karkare, Pankhuri Abhijeet Varange, and Mihir Bhaskar Joshi.
Prime accused diamond trader Nirav Modi and other accomplices fled the country in early January, before the massive PNB fraud came to light.
The CBI’s first information reports (FIRs) lodged on Friday following a complaint by the PNB said that Gitanjali Gems, Gili India Ltd and Nakshatra Brand Ltd and their directors in connivance with Sethi and other officials caused a loss of Rs 4,886.72 crore to the bank.
The CBI invoked charges of criminal conspiracy and cheating under the Indian Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act against Mehul Choksi, the Managing Director of Gitanjali Gems Ltd based at Mumbai’s Walkeshwar.
In the earlier FIR filed on Thursday, the CBI named three companies of Gitanjali Group for causing alleged loss of Rs 4,886.72 crore.
Simultaneously, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday launched nationwide raids on 26 premises, including offices, showrooms and workshops of Nirav Modi.
The multi-pronged action came a day after the Punjab National Bank admitted to a fraud totalling Rs 11,515 crore and involving Nirav Modi’s companies and certain other accounts with the bank’s flagship branch (Brady House Branch) in Mumbai and its second largest lending window in India.
The fraud, which includes money laundering, alleged involved the Firestar Diamonds group in which the CBI last week booked Modi, his wife Ami, brother Nishal Modi and their uncle Mehul Choksi.
–IANS
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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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