National
PNB fraud: CBI arrests five staffers of Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi (Night Lead)
New Delhi, Feb 20 (IANS) The CBI on Tuesday arrested five employees of diamond merchants Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi in the Rs 11,300 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud, an official said.
Those arrested include three employees of the Nirav Modi group of companies and two of the Choksi-owned Gitanjali group.
Nirav Modi’s Firestar International firm’s President Vipul Ambani, its Senior Executive Arjun Patil, and Executive Assistant and authorised signatory of the diamond merchant’s three accused firms, Kavita Mankikar, were arrested after daylong questioning.
Chief Managing Officer (CFO) of Gitanjali group, Kapil Khandelwal, and its Manager Niten Shahi were also held.
The arrests were made in two cases registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 14 and 15 against Nirav Modi and the Gitanjali group of firms respectively.
The CBI had earlier arrested five PNB officials and one authorised signatory of Nirav Modi.
The central agency also questioned 10 Punjab National Bank (PNB) officials, including an Executive Director, and 18 employees of Nirav Modi and the Gitanjali group in the Rs 11,300 crore bank fraud.
A CBI team also conducted raids at diamantaire Nirav Modi’s Alibaug farmhouse near Mumbai which has a palatial bungalow, an official said.
Apart from the questioning of Mumbai-based PNB’s Brady House branch employees, eight staff and associates of Nirav Modi group of companies, including Chief Financial Officer Ravi Gupta, President Foreign Finance Division Saurabh Sharma and Finance Executive Subhash Parab, were also quizzed.
The CBI also questioned 10 employees of Gitanjali group firms — Gitanjali Gems Ltd, Gili India Ltd, and Nakshatra Brands Ltd.
Gitanjali group and its India-based 18 subsidiaries are headed by Mehul C. Choksi.
“Most of the PNB and Nirav Modi company’s employees were also questioned for over eight hours on Monday,” the CBI official said.
The central agency is also said to have seized some significant documents from the Navi Mumbai, Andheri and Dombivli residences of three PNB officials arrested on Monday.
The CBI had raided these places on Monday night after the arrest of Brady House branch’s Chief Manager Bechu B. Tewari and two colleagues Yashwant Joshi, Scale II Manager (Forex Department), and Praful Sawant, Scale I officer (Export) after daylong questioning.
–IANS
rak/tsb/bg
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.