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SC to hear Maharashtra’s plea on activists’ probe on Oct 29 (Lead)
New Delhi, Oct 25 (IANS) The Supreme Court will on Monday hear a Maharashtra government plea against a High Court order that refused to give more time to the state police to investigate five activists accused of having links with Maoist insurgents.
The Bombay High Court in its October 24 order had set aside the Special Court’s order permitting another 90 days to the Maharashtra Police to complete its investigation against Surendra Pundlik Gadling, Sudhir Pralhad Dhawale, Rona Jacob Wilson, Soma Sen, and Mahesh Sitaram Raut.
The Special Court had on September 2 granted additional 90 days to the state police as is permissible under Section 43D(2)(b) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
Section 43D (2)(b) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act says, “Provided further that if it is not possible to complete the investigation within the said period of ninety days, the Court may if it is satisfied with the report of the Public Prosecutor indicating the progress of the investigation and the specific reasons for the detention of the accused beyond the said period of ninety days, extend the said period up to one hundred and eighty days.”
The apex court’s three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, on Thursday directed the listing of the matter on October 29 as Maharashtra government’s lawyer Nishant Kanteshwarkar mentioned it for an urgent hearing.
Katneshwarkar told the court that if the Bombay High Court order was not stayed, then the accused “urban naxals” may apply for bail and even secure it.
Seeking “ad-interim ex-parte” stay of the High Court order, the Maharashtra government’s petition says, “In case the impugned order is not stayed, probably, the respondents (the five accused) may come out of the custody which may be prejudicial to the investigation. Therefore the impugned order deserves to be stayed.”
The Maharashtra petition says that the High Court has “resorted to a pedantic view rather than resorting to a pragmatic view” and the proviso to section 43-D(2)(b) specifically provides that the Court should be satisfied with the report of the public prosecutor indicating the progress of the investigation and the specific reasons for the detention of the accused beyond the period of 90 days.
It has further stated that the investigating officer has filed a report of the application under his signature giving reasons for extension of time on August 30, 2018 and on the very same day, the public prosecutor had submitted her report/application carving out the grounds for extension of time.
The matter relates to alleged singing of “objectionable songs” and instigating comments, speeches, sloganeering at “Elgar Conference’ by accused Sudhir Dhawale and others at Bhima Koregaon Shouryadin Prerna Abhiyana, organised by Kabir Kala Manch on December 31, 2017.
Accusing the five activists of having links with Communist Party of India (Maoist), the Maharashtra government has alleged that they misled the people and sowed radical Maoist thoughts in their minds.
–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.