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Maharashtra to withdraw cases against Bhima-Koregaon rioters
Mumbai, March 13 (IANS) The Maharashtra government plans to withdraw cases against the accused in the January 1 Bhima-Koregaon caste riots in Pune which had left one dead, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced in the assembly on Tuesday.
He also said that the state government will give compensation to the people who suffered losses during the rioting.
Fadnavis informed the house that a committee will be set up to take a decision on the serious cases filed in the matter and submit its report within three months.
He also said that the state will take over the management and maintenance of the samadhi of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in Vadhu-Budruk village, around five kms from Bhima-Koregaon.
Fadnavis said a total of 58 cases have been registered by the Pune police in connection with the riots that erupted on New Year’s Day and 162 accused were arrested.
The riots had left one person dead and over a hundred injured including 60 policemen, he added.
Referring to the losses, Fadnavis said these amounted to around Rs 13 crore, out of which Rs 9.40 crore were in Bhima-Koregaon riots itself.
Of these, Dalit community members suffered losses of around Rs 1 crore and Muslims more than Rs 85 lakh, which the government would compensate, Fadnavis said.
After the riots, the government had lodged 17 cases under the Atrocities Act plus 600 other cases and 1199 accused were arrested for various offences, besides 2,053 being detained as a preventive measure.
The disturbances erupted in the village of Bhima-Koregaon on January 1 during the 200th anniversary celebrations of the Anglo-Maratha War which saw the army of Peshwa Bajirao II being defeated by a small force of the East India Company that comprised a large number of Dalits.
That afternoon, several lakhs of Dalits had congregated around the Victory Pillar (Vijay Stambh) erected by the British in Sanaswadi village when suddenly stone pelting started, allegedly by some right-wing groups carrying saffron flags.
In the clashes that ensued between the two groups, more than 30 vehicles, including buses, police vans and private vehicles, were torched or damaged and one youth, Rahul Fatangale, 28, of Nanded lost his life.
The Bhima-Koregaon incident was followed by a crippling Maharashtra shutdown on January 3, organized by the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh, led by Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of the architect of Indian Constitution, B. R. Ambedkar.
Tuesday’s development is seen against the backdrop of Monday’s massive response to the farmers’ 200-km long Nashik-Mumbai Long March by over 35,000 farmers, tribals and labourers organized by the CPI-M-affiliated All India Kisan Sabha, which proved a success with the government conceding most of their demands.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.