SPS Oberoi: The Indian businessman who is a life saver for many

ਇਨਸਾਨ ਦੇ ਰੂਪ ਵਿੱਚ ਭਗਵਾਨ . . ਮੌਤ ਨੂੰ ਖਰੀਦ ਲੈਂਦੇ ਹਨ ਅਤੇ ਦਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ ਜਿੰਦਗੀ

     SPS Oberoi: The Indian businessman who saved many lives by offering Blood Money

ਏਸ ਪੀ ਸਿੰਘ ਓਬੇਰਾਏ , 59 ਸਾਲ ਦੇ ਓਬੇਰਾਏ ਦੁਬਈ ਵਿੱਚ ਬਿਜਨੇਸ ਮੈਨ ਹਨ ।

 ਉਹ ਯੂਏਈ ਦੀਆਂ ਜੇਲਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਬੰਦ ਮੌਤ ਦੀ ਸਜਾ ਪਾਉਣ ਵਾਲੇ 54 ਦੋਸ਼ੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਬਚਾ ਚੁੱਕੇ ਹਨ । 

ਹੁਣ ਉਹ 30 ਹੋਰ ਕੈਦੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਜੇਲਾਂ ਵਿੱਚੋਂ ਕੱਢਣ ਦੀ ਕੋਸ਼ਿਸ਼ ਕਰ ਰਹ ਹਨ । 

ਉਹ 17 ਭਾਰਤੀ ਕੈਦੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਜੇਲ੍ਹ ਵਿੱਚੋਂ ਛਡਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਹੁਣ ਤੱਕ 3 . 4 ਮਿਲਿਅਨ ਦਿਰਹਮ ( 5. 7 

ਕਰੋਡ਼ ਰੁਪਏ ) ਦੀ ਬਲਡ ਮਨੀ ਦੇ ਚੁੱਕੇ ਹਨ|। ਬਲਡ ਮਨੀ  ਸ਼ਬਦ ਦਾ ਮਤਲੱਬ ਹੈ

 ਉਸ ਪਰਵਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਮੁਆਵਜਾ , ਜਿਸਦੇ ਮੈਂਬਰ ਦੀ ਦੋਸ਼ੀ ਦੁਆਰਾ ਹੱਤਿਆ ਕੀਤੀ 

ਗਈ ਹੋਵੇ । ਜਨਵਰੀ 2009 ਵਿੱਚ ਜਦੋਂ ਪਹਿਲੀ ਵਾਰ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਇੱਕ ਮੌਤ ਦੀ ਸੱਜਿਆ ਪਾਏ ਭਾਰਤੀ 

ਦੇ ਬਾਰੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਸੁਣਿਆ ਤਾਂ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਪਹਿਲਾ ਖਿਆਲ ਆਇਆ ਕਿ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਸ ਵਿਅਕਤੀ ਦੇ 

ਪਰਵਾਰ ਉੱਤੇ ਕੀ ਗੁਜ਼ਰ ਰਹੀ ਹੋਵੇਗੀ । ਉਸਦੇ ਘਰ ਦਾ ਮਾਹੌਲ ਕਿੰਨਾ ਤਣਾਅ ਭੱਰਿਆ ਹੋਵੇਗਾ । 

ਤੱਦ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਇਸ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਨੂੰ ਆਪਣੇ ਹੱਥ ਵਿੱਚ ਲੈਣ ਦਾ ਫੈਸਲਾ ਕੀਤਾ । ਓਹਨਾਂ ਨਾ ਸਿਰਫ ਭਾਰਤੀ

 ਨੂੰ ਸਗੋਂ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਲੱਖਾਂ ਕਰੋੜਾਂ ਦੇ ਕੇ ਨਵੀਂ ਜਿੰਦਗੀ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਹੈ . . ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲੇ 

ਏਸਪੀ ਸਿੰਘ ਓਬੇਰਾਏ ਨੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਕੰਮ ਦੀ ਸ਼ੁਰੁਆਤ 1970 ਵਿੱਚ ਮੈਕੇਨਿਕ ਦੇ ਤੌਰ ਉੱਤੇ ਕੀਤੀ । 

1975 ਦੇ ਬਾਅਦ ਉਹ ਮੈਟੇਰਿਅਲ ਸਪਲਾਈ ਅਤੇ ਕੰਸਟਰਕਸ਼ਨ ਦੇ ਬਿਜਨੇਸ ਨਾਲ ਜੁੜ ਗਏ । 18

 ਸਾਲ ਦੀ ਕੜੀ ਮਿਹਨਤ ਦੇ ਜੋਰ ਉੱਤੇ ਅੱਜ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਕੋਲ ਦੁਬਈ ਗਰੈਂਡ ਹੋਟਲ ਅਤੇ ਏਪੇਕਸ ਗਰੁਪ

 ਆਫ ਕੰਪਨੀਜ ਹੈ । ਇੱਥੇ ਨਹੀਂ , ਉਹ ਹੁਣ ਦੁਨੀਆ ਦੀ ਸਭਤੋਂ ਉੱਚੀ ਇਮਾਰਤ ਬੁਰਜ ਖਲੀਫਾ ਵਿੱਚ 

ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ । ਓਬੇਰਾਏ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਕੈਦੀਆਂ ਦੀ ਮਦਦ ਲਈ ਅਕਸਰ ਯੂਏਈ ਦੀਆਂ ਜੇਲਾਂ ਦੇ ਚੱਕਰ 

ਲਗਾਉਂਦੇ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ । ਇਸ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਉਹ ਇੱਕ ਘਟਨਾ ਦਾ ਜਿਕਰ ਕਰਦੇ ਹੋਏ ਓਬੇਰਾਏ ਕਹਿੰਦੇ 

ਹਨ , ਯੂਏਈ ਵਿੱਚ 17ਭਾਰਤੀ ਕੈਦੀ ਜੇਲ੍ਹ ਵਿੱਚ ਬੰਦ ਸਨ । ਮੈਂ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਮਾਂ - ਬਾਪ ਨਾਲ ਮਿਲਾਉਣ 

ਦੀ ਵਿਵਸਥਾ ਕੀਤੀ । ਓਬੇਰਾਏ ਦੇ ਕੋਲ ਇੱਕ ਲੰਮੀ ਕਾਂਟੇਕਟ ਲਿਸਟ ਹੈ । ਇਸਦੀ ਮਦਦ ਨਾਲ ਉਹ 

ਸਾਰੇ ਛੁੱਟੇ ਹੋਏ ਕੈਦੀਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਲਗਾਤਾਰ ਸੰਪਰਕ ਵਿੱਚ ਰਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ । ਜੇਕਰ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਕੋਲ ਸਮਾਂ 

ਹੁੰਦਾ ਹੈ ਤਾਂ ਭਾਰਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਮਿਲਣ ਚਲੇ ਆਉਂਦੇ ਹਨ । ਉਹ ਹਮੇਸ਼ਾ ਛੁੱਟਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਕੈਦੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ 

ਅਹਿਸਾਸ ਦਵਾਉਂਦੇ ਹਨ ਕਿ ਦੋਸ਼ ਦੇ ਕਾਰਨ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੀ ਜਿੰਦਗੀ ਬਰਬਾਦ ਹੋ ਗਈ । ਕੈਦੀ ਇਸ ਦੇ 

ਬਾਅਦ ਵਾਪਸ ਮਿਹਨਤ ਦੇ ਦਮ ਉੱਤੇ ਕਮਾਣ ਦੀ ਕੋਸ਼ਿਸ਼ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ . . ਅਤੇ ਮੈਂ ਇਸ ਮਹਾਨ 

ਆਦਮੀ ਨੂੰ ਸਲਾਮ ਕਰਦਾ ਹਾਂ ਜੋ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਕੰਮ ਨਾ ਮਿਲਣ ਉੱਤੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਹੀ ਕੰਪਨੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਰੋਜਗਾਰ

 ਵੀ ਉਪਲੱਬਧ ਕਰਵਾ ਦਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ . . ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦਾ ਟਰੱਸਟ ਸਰਬਤ ਦਾ ਭਲਾ ਹੁਣ ਤੱਕ 18 ਹਜਾਰ ਤੋਂ 

ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾ ਸਿੱਖ , ਹਿੰਦੂ , ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ਕਮਿਊਨਿਟੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਕਈ ਵਾਰ ਸਾਮੂਹਕ ਸ਼ਾਦੀਆਂ ਕਰਾ ਚੁੱਕੇ ਹਨ

ਵਰਤਮਾਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਹ ਆਰਥਕ ਰੂਪ ਨਾਲ ਕਮਜੋਰ 425 ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀਆਂ ਦੀ ਮਦਦ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ 

ਅਤੇ ਕਈ ਅਸਪਤਾਲਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਦਾਨ ਦਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ । ਉਹ ਬੁਜੁਰਗ ਕੈਂਸਰ ਪੀੜਤਾਂ ਲਈ ਘਰ ਬਣਵਾ ਰਹੇ 

ਹਨ । ਅਜਿਹੇ ਬੁਜੁਰਗ , ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਬੱਚੇ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਉੱਤੇ ਧਿਆਨ ਨਹੀਂ ਦਿੰਦੇ ਹਨ , ਉਹ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦਾ 

ਖਿਆਲ ਰੱਖਣ ਦੀ ਪ੍ਰਬੰਦ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ ।

6,000 workers from Telangana in Gulf jails

Hyderabad: The plight of migrant workers in jail in the Gulf came into focus during a meeting organised on the occasion of International Migrants Day on Thursday.

The speakers said that 600,000 migrant labourers from Telangana, most of them from the districts of Nizamabad and Karimnagar worked in the Gulf and some 6,000 are in jail on different charges, some of them have been there for more than one and a half decades.

The most heart-rending was the story of Muthyam who had gone to Dubai as a daily wage labourer and has now been in jail for the past 15 years. Muthyam’s brother Lingam told the meeting that his mother was hoping to see him at least once more before she died. “We have not seen him ever since he went to Dubai”, he said.

Rajeshwar Rao from Nizamabad told the meeting about the plight of his son Rajnikant who had gone to the Gulf three years ago and is now languishing in jail. His only fault, according to his father was to ask his family to send some painkillers for him.

“The first time we sent the medicine there was no problem. But the second time he asked for the medicine for his friend, the authorities seized it and arrested my son. Had we known that it was illegal to use this medicine there we would have never have sent it.”

Rajeshwara Rao’s family relied on the money Rajnikant was sending. “Now me, my daughter-in-law and three-year-old grandson are on the verge of starvation and are desperately trying to get my innocent son released.”

Rajnikant worked as a driver before he decided to go to the Gulf to work there in the hope of improving his family’s lot.

The meeting was organised by the Migrants Rights Council and the Palamuru Migrant Labour Union to highlight the sufferings of workers in other countries.

V Anuradha Reddy, a human rights lawyer working for workers in Dubai, said the responsibility for the situation also lies with Indian officials who do not educate illiterate and semi-literate workers about the rules in other countries, especially in terms of banned items.

“Recently an Indian was arrested for carrying poppy seeds which are banned there”, she said. The poppy seed is a part of food preparation in India.

Former MP and vice-president of Building and Wood Workers International, Ramchander Kunthia, said that not only the plight of Indian workers abroad needed attention but also migrants in India needed safeguards. The Inter State Migrant Labour Act should be amended, he said.

17 Indians in Sharjah murder case can finally return home

Chandigarh/Dubai, January 17
A long-drawn legal battle finally come to an end today as 17 Indian boys, who have been languishing in Sharjah jail for more than three years, got the final approval from the Sharjah court and were cleared for deportation.

All of them had got death sentence, which the court had waived in 2011 after Dubai businessman SP Singh Oberoi paid blood money of one million US dollars to the parents of the victim Mishri Khan.

But, permission to leave the United Arab Emirates was held up as a civil petition seeking compensation for those injured in the Mishri Khan murder case was filed.

The case pertains to 2009 when a group of Indian workers clashed with a group of workers from Pakistan in which Mishri Khan of Sargodha was killed and two of his cousins — Mushtaq Ahmed and Shahid Iqbal — were grievously injured.

Subsequently 17 Indian boys were charged for a drunken brawl leading to murder and arson. They were subsequently convicted and sentenced to death. It was under pressure from the media that the Indian mission in UAE hired a team of lawyers to defend the Indian boys who pleaded innocent. An appeal was filed in the Sharjah Appeal Court against the orders of the Sharjah Court in April 2010.

It was during hearing of the appeal that the Sharjah Court asked the defence team if it was prepared for settlement under Diya - blood money - to which it reluctantly agreed holding that it had a fool proof case.

Oberoi paid up the blood money and the court also endorsed the settlement deal and waived the death sentence in 2011. But then the civil petition was filed and it took more than a year for adjudication and forced the 17 Indian boys to have an extended stay in the Sharjah jail even after their death sentence had been waived.

SP Singh Oberoi says that with the pronouncement of a joint compensation of AED 1,00,000 for Mushtaq Ahmed and Shahid Iqbal for grievous injuries they received in the clash will now get Indian boys released.

case file
Mishri Khan of Pakistan was killed and two were injured in a clash in Sharjah in 2009
The Sharjah police prosecuted 17 Indian boys. They were sentenced to death. All convicts are from Punjab and Haryana
On September 12, 2011, the court waived the death sentence of all the convicts after they paid the “blood money”
On September 23 when they were about to return to India, a civil petition seeking relief for the two injured was filed

Way to freedom for 17 youths

Sukhjinder Singh of Patti, Sukhjot Singh of Sanghera in Barnala, Ram Singh of Kanvi in Amritsar, Aarvinder Singh of Gurdaspur, Baljeet Singh of Sangwal in Jalandhar, Daljeet Singh of Aitiana in Ludhiana, Dharampal Singh of Jhoke Tehal Singh Wala in Ferozepur, Satgur Singh of Ghanaur Jattan in Sangrur, Satnam Singh of Roohli Kalan in Ludhiana, Kashmir Singh of Rattu Ke in Tarn Taran, Suban Singh of Lohian Khaas in Kapurthala, Kulvinder Singh of Ludhiana, Kuldeep Singh of Moga, Sukhjinder Singh of Kapurthala, Namjyot Singh of Ludhiana, Harjinder Singh of Phagwara and Taranjit Singh of Kaithal

No service tax to be levied on NRI remittances: Finance Ministry

New Delhi, July 10

The Finance Ministry today clarified that no service tax would be levied on NRI remittances from overseas.

The clarification by the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), which functions under the Finance Ministry, follows concerns over reports that there was a move to levy 12 per cent tax on money sent back home by Indians abroad under the changed service tax regime from July 1.

The CBEC said in a circular “that the matter has been examined and it is clarified that there is no service tax per se on the amount of foreign currency remitted to India from overseas”. In the negative list regime, “service” excludes transaction in money. As the amount of remittance comprises money, the activity does not comprise a “service” and is not subjected to service tax, the circular clarifies.

It further added that “in case any fee or conversion charges are levied for sending such money, they are also not liable to service tax as the person sending the money and the company conducting the remittance are located outside India. Such services are deemed to be provided outside India and thus not liable to service tax”.

It has been further clarified that even the Indian counterpart bank or financial institution which charges the foreign bank for the services provided at the receiving end, is not liable to service tax as the place of provision of such service is outside India.

The clarification will alleviate concerns of NRIs as India is one of the top recipient of remittances ($64 billion in 2011), according to the World Bank data. Given the dire need for dollar at a time when current account deficit is high and Rupee is under pressure, any move to levy service tax on NRI remittances would have been disastrous.

CMs of Punjab and Kerala, which are among the states receiving the largest remittances from NRIs, had taken up the matter with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

M Rafeeque Ahmed, president, Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), said that towards addressing the trade deficit, remittances were the single largest source of unconditional flow of foreign exchange into India, according to estimates by the World Bank. Given the slowdown and declining levels of foreign exchange, service tax could only act as a deterrent to precious incoming foreign exchange, he added.

He said the waiver of service tax on the same would ensure that this stable source of foreign exchange would continue to maintain the delicate balance of payments position of India at this moment of global crisis. 

WHY THE CLARIFICATION  Concerns were being expressed over reports that there was a move to levy 12% tax on money sent back home by Indians abroad under the changed service tax regime from July 1 THE FINAL WORD  The matter has been examined and it is clarified that there is no service tax per se on the amount of foreign currency remitted to India from overseas  As the amount of remittance comprises money, the activity does not comprise a “service” and is not subject to service tax  In case any fee or conversion charges are levied for sending such money, they are also not liable to service tax as the person sending the money and the company conducting the remittance are located outside India

What is NRI status?

 Many people confused about the NRI term and when a person is considered asNon-Resident Indian(NRI). This article gives you the policies related to NRI and how to decide whether a person is NRI for the specific financial year. Please post your feedback in the comments section. If you like this article please subscribe to our future articles here.

What makes you resident?

• If a person stays in India for more the 182 days for the current financial year
• If you stay in India for at least 60 days in India during the current FY and have stayed in India for at least a total of 365 days during the four previous FYs, then you are a resident.
• However, the criteria of 60 days are extended to the first criteria of 182 days for any one of the following instances:
  • 1. If you reside abroad for the purpose of employment.
  • 2. If you reside abroad as the member of the crew of an Indian ship.
  • 3. If you are an Indian citizen or a person of Indian origin who comes to India on a visit.
• If you are an NRI, only your income from India will be taxed. You don’t have to pay taxes on income earned abroad, even if you remit this income to India.
• An Indian citizen leaves India for the purpose of Employment, Education or Staty with parent, at the moment when he is leaving the India he becomes the NRI. In this case when the return period is un-certain then he will be considered as an NRI.

I hope this article helps to understand the NRI status. If you have any doubts regarding theNRI status, please post it in the comments section. I will answer your questions. Thank you for reading this article. If you like this article please subscribe to our future articles.

Indian businessman mysteriously found dead in Muscat

MUSCAT: An Indian businessman has been mysteriously found dead in Muscat, the capital city of Oman.

VV Vasudevan's hands and legs were tied near his Land Cruiser vehicle in a yard behind one of his hardware shops in Al Hail suburb of Muscat.

According to his brother Vijayan, Vasudevan, a hardware and building material businessman, was last seen at 10 pm local time after he closed his shop.

"In the evening one of the staff members called me that something was wrong, when I rushed here, I saw my brother's body with his hands and legs tied," Gulf News quoted Vasudevan, as saying.

Apparently, Vasudevan, popularly known as Vasu, had five to six shops in al Khodh and Al Hail suburbs of Muscat.

According to some of the eyewitnesses Vasu's, 54, body bore marks of strangulation around his neck.

Vasu's family landed in Muscat back from India, minutes after his body was found.