Top News
Sack Jaitley over bank frauds, collusion with fraudsters: Congress (Second Lead)
New Delhi, Oct 22 (IANS) Intensifying its attack on the Modi government over bank frauds, the Congress on Monday demanded sacking of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for “allowing” bank frauds to the tune of Rs 90,000 crore and “letting” fraudsters like Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi to flee the country.
Calling for Jaitley’s resignation, Congress President Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Finance minister’s daughter Sonali Jaitley was “on the payroll” of fugitive Mehul Choksi, wanted in Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case.
“Arun Jaitlie’s daughter was on the payroll of thief Mehul Choksi. Meanwhile her Finance Minister daddy sat on his file and allowed him to flee. She received money from ICICI a/c no: 12170500316,” Gandhi tweeted.
Taking the fight to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jaitley, Congress leader Sachin Pilot said that under the Bharatiya Janata Party government “an unprecedented 19,000 bank fraud cases involving Rs 90,000 crore” have taken place.
“At least 23 bank fraudsters have left India under their watch after duping the country by over Rs 53,000 crore.
“The successive escapes of Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi, Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and others reflect that the Modi government is not a guardian of public money but a travel agency facilitating fraud, fleece and fly to foreign shores by wilful bank defaulters,” Pilot told the media here.
Pilot questioned as to why Sonali Jaitley’s legal firm accepted retainer fee from Choksi despite the Prime Minister’s Office, the Finance and Corporate Affairs Ministry as well as various investigative agencies being aware of the fraud by Nirav Modi and Choksi.
“Sonali Jaitley and son-in- law, Jaiyesh Bakhshi proceeded to accept a retainership from Choksi’s fraudster company in December 2017. A sum of Rs 24,00,000 was also received by them.
“This amount was redeposited on Feb 20 2018, well after both Nirav Modi and Choksi had fled the country,” said Pilot.
“These are the people (Modi and Jaitley) who were officially helping the fraudsters, legally safeguarding them and politically protecting them to escape and run away,” said Pilot demanding both the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister to speak up.
Alleging it to be a clear-cut case of “collusion, connivance and conflict of interest”, the Congress questioned why Jaitley, his daughter and son-in-law have not been summoned or questioned by CBI and other agencies probing the scam.
The Congress demanded to know why action was not against Choksi and Nirav Modi despite multiple FIRs and complaints and also who facilitated their escape from the country.
Prime accused in the PNB fraud case, Nirav Modi and Choksi are under probe by both the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate.
–IANS
and/prs
Top News
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.