the boys are back home - thanks to the court in my hometown

[Mehtab Singh]

New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS) Seventeen people from Punjab and Haryana, who were on death row in the UAE, landed at Delhi airport Tuesday experiencing freedom for the first time in nearly three years after being freed by a court.

They were on death row in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 2010 convicted for murdering a Pakistani national. They were freed by a Sharjah court after paying blood money of over Rs.5.5 crore to the victim's family.

Back in their homeland and with the threat of the gallows no longer hanging over their heads, all 17 men headed straight for Amritsar to offer prayers at the holiest of Sikh shrines, Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple).

"These boys are very happy to be freed at last and to reach back home. We are heading to Amritsar to offer prayers at Harmandir Sahib," Dubai-based hotelier S.P. Singh Oberoi, who led a campaign to save the men from the gallows and to get them freed, said after landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) here.

These men -- comprising 16 from Punjab and one from Haryana -- were allowed to walk free by a Sharjah court after they paid blood money (money paid as compensation to the victim's family) amounting to over Rs.5.5 crore which was paid to the family of the Pakistani national, Misri Khan.

They were convicted of murdering Misri Khan and injuring three others January 2009, following a fight over illegal liquor business.

Two other Pakistanis were injured in the clash which occurred in Sharjah.

The Indian men had all along maintained that they were not involved in the murder of the Pakistani national and that they had been framed.

Oberoi led the campaign to collect money from charity and well-wishers to pay the blood money and secure the freedom of the 17 men.

http://www.samachar.com/17-Indian-men-return-home-from-UAE-prison-ncmqKwbbfjj.html

[Jangal Da]

Oberoi Sahib displayed great magnificence and generosity - wonderful virtues found in Sikhi.

[Mehtab Singh]

Looks like India loves the color, taste and smell of Sikh blood, and wants it flowing at any cost and any place.

An Indian court has asked a government intelligence agency to look into allegations of money laundering against a Dubai-based businessman who has paid millions of dirhams in blood money to free several Indian convicts in UAE jails.

The Directorate of Enforcement in New Delhi has been asked to “expeditiously” investigate whether SP Singh Oberoi, chairman of Dubai Grand Hotel and Apex Group of Companies, and his family members have violated India’s Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999.

Last year, Mr Oberoi, who has been dubbed a philanthropist, helped raise Dh3.4 million in blood money to enable 17 men who were convicted of murder escape death row in Sharjah.

“The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered the Enforcement Directorate to see if there is any merit to the allegations of money laundering made by the petitioner, Vijay Pal Singh,” Mr Singh’s solicitor said. Mr Oberoi yesterday denied the accusations.

“I am not involved in any money laundering,” he said, speaking from India. “I have given millions of dirhams in charity. If I wanted to hide the money, why would I give donations?”

He said he has paid blood money to free over 35 Indian prisoners.

“There are proper bank records for all the blood money payments. I have provided the income tax department with the source of my income,” he said, adding that he plans to sue the petitioner for defamation.

The businessman said he had paid most of the Dh3.4 million blood money on behalf of the Sharjah death-row Indians, and that his charity work was to “assist people in need.”

The Directorate of Enforcement is tasked with preventing money laundering - defined as concealing the source of illegally obtained money - and enforcement of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, which regulates the flow of foreign currency to and from India.

“The ED (Enforcement Directorate) has to decide on the allegations within the next two months,” said Mr Singh’s counsel.

The high court directed the agency last week to “decide the representation made by the petitioner alleging violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999” within the next two months. Mr Singh said he had approached the agency in 2010, adding that they had not acted on his complaint.

“The case is under initial investigations,” said V Neeraja, deputy director of the Directorate of Enforcement. “We started investigations even before the court order.”

Mr Singh, a former business associate of Mr Oberoi, said, “The blood money payments he has made is all black money. I have documents to prove that he and his family have 126 bank accounts.”

However, Mr Oberoi said, “What would I do with so many bank accounts? I run a clean business.”



http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/courts/money-laundering-probe-ordered-into-dubai-businessman-oberoi

Thank you India! You couldn't free the 17 Punjabi guys on death row in Sharjah, but you sure are keen to go after the guy who did! There were 53,000 millionaires in U.A.E in 2006, and I am sure as of now the numbers haven't changed much. Its no big deal that Mr. Oberoi had so much money as he has been a successful businessman there. He possibly is a devout dasvand-abiding Sikh and wanted to use this money for a good cause to save the lives of these guys.

[Jangal Da]

That awful disease - JEALOUSY. Poor VijayPal Singh, for there is no easy cure. Maybe the counter defamation law suite will help VP Singh by halting the malignant onslaught of this terrible affliction.