Udupi: Former President Abdul Kalam’s signature forgery case: One convicted to 3 yrs RI
Udupi, Dec 12: Additional JMFC Court on Wednesday convicted a person to three years rigorous imprisonment on charges of misusing the signature of former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam nine years ago and tarnishing his personality and image.
The convicted has been identified as Niranjan Chidanand Bhat (37) of Mudabettu in Kodavur village. With an intention of cheating and transacting in the name of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the convicted had forged the signature of the former President and fabricated the fake documents in 2010. He had created fake email ID in the name of Abdul Kalam at Surf and Weave cyber café near Karavali By-pass road in Udupi and using the fake email ID, he had sent a congratulation letter to Kalam. In turn, Dr Kalam had sent a letter in gratitude with his personal signature and Niranjan had forged that signature.
Using his forged signature, the convicted had sent a recommendation letter in the name of Dr Kalam for the Hoover Medal Award, instituted by the ‘American Engineering Organisation’ for the engineers who contributed for the welfare of the mankind. Apart from this, using the fake email ID of Dr Kalam, he had sent an email to Goswamy D Yogi of New York requesting him to send a project report on 50 MW solar thermal plant to him and claimed that all documents he had created were genuine. Thus, he had claimed himself as President Abdul Kalam and transacted to tarnish the image and personality of the former President, it was alleged.
Based on a complaint by intelligence wing police inspector Srinivas Raj, a case was registered at Malpe police station on May 24, 2009. Then Udupi circle inspector Ganesh Hegde investigated the case and later, circle inspector SV Girish had filed charge sheet to the court against the convicted on October 26, 2010.
After hearing the case, Additional JMFC court judge Manjunath MS pronounced the judgement convicting the accused. The judge awarded three years rigorous imprisonment under IPC Column 419, 465, 468, 469 and 471 and slapped a fine of Rs 7,000. Assistant public prosecutor and legal officer Mamtaz investigated the case and assistant public prosecutor Jayanti K argued against the convicted.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Doctors who died on duty during COVID-19 entitled to insurance under PMGKY: SC
_vb_75.jpeg)
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court held on Thursday that the families of the doctors who died while doing their duties during the COVID-19 pandemic are entitled to an insurance coverage of Rs 50 lakh under the "Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana".
A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and R Mahadevan set aside a Bombay High Court judgment that had held that private doctors were not entitled to the coverage under the government's insurance scheme.
"There is a requisition of the services of doctors and this is evident from the conjoint reading of the provisions of the Act, the Maharashtra Prevention and Containment of COVID-19 Regulations 2020, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation Order dated March 31, 2020, the PMGKY-Package Scheme, the explanatory communication to the PMGKY policy and the FAQs released," the bench said.
It said the invocation of laws and regulations was intended to leave no stone unturned in requisitioning the doctors and the insurance scheme was equally intended to assure doctors and health professionals in the frontline that the country is with them.
The court said individual claims for insurance made under the PMGKY-Package will be considered and decided in accordance with the law and on the basis of evidence.
ALSO READ: Goa fire: Delhi court dismisses Luthra brothers' transit anticipatory bail pleas
"The onus to prove that a deceased lost his life while performing a COVID-19-related duty is on the claimant and the same needs to be established on the basis of credible evidence," it added.
The top court was hearing a plea moved by Pradeep Arora and others against a March 9, 2021, order of the Bombay High Court that held that private hospital staffers were not entitled to receive benefits under the insurance scheme unless their services were requisitioned by the state or the central government.
A plea was filed in the high court by Kiran Bhaskar Surgade, who lost her husband -- who ran a private clinic in Maharashtra's Thane -- to COVID-19 in 2020.
The insurance company rejected her claim under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) on the ground that her husband's clinic was not recognised as a COVID-19 hospital.
The PMGKP was announced in March 2020 and its coverage has since been extended.
It was launched to provide a safety net to health workers to ensure that in case of any adversity due to COVID-19, their families are taken care of.
An insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh is provided to the health workers under the PMGKP, which has become a safety net for the dependents of the Covid warriors who lost their lives to the infection.
