At a Press Conference on 28th
February, 2014
Good Morning Everybody
On behalf of the Sahara India Pariwar,
We welcome you all
We are meeting at a time when our
organization has been very wrongly interpreted and presented in public against
the backdrop of the ongoing Sahara – Sebi case.
As the matter is Sub-judice, we cannot
bring forward many things pertaining to the case but being an organization like
Sahara India Pariwar with a base of more than crores and crores of investors
and having kartvyayogis in tune of 12 lakh, we feel it is our moral right and
duty to come forward and dispel some misconceptions which are being created by
parties having vested interest in the dust of ongoing dispute.
As you are aware of the happenings in
this case and the developments of last two days, we wish to put forward the
facts for the understanding of our esteemed investors / customers /
kartavyayogi karyakartas, associates and business partners / our well wishers
and public at large.
·
On
20th Feb’14, Hon’ble supreme court orders our Chairman Sri Subrata
Roy Sahara (Saharasri Ji) and 3 other directors to appear in person in Hon’ble
supreme court to be a part of the proceeding of that particular day related to
the ongoing dispute of our two companies namely Sahara India Real Estate
Corporation Ltd and Sahara India Housing & Investment Corporation Ltd with
Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
·
On
22nd Feb’14, Saharasri Ji arrives in Delhi to have one on one
meetings with our Senior Legal Counsels namely Shri Ram Jethmalani & Shri Aryama Sundaram and thereafter to
attend the proceedings in Hon’ble supreme court on 26th Feb’14 along
with other three Directors
·
On
23rd Feb’14, Saharasri Ji meets both Senior Counsels Shri Ram
Jethmalani and Shri Aryama Sundaram at their respective residences in New
Delhi.
·
On
24th Feb’14, towards late evening Saharasri Ji is informed that the
health condition of his mother Smt. Chabbi Roy, aged 92 years, who has been
unwell for some time and is being attended and treated at Sahara Hospital in
Lucknow, has suddenly deteriorated and her situation is critical.
·
Saharasri
Ji being the eldest child of his mother and also being very attached to her
decided to go back to Lucknow immediately with a private charter to be with his
ailing mother at this critical moment as any son would have done in order to
fulfill his emotional duties and obligations
towards his mother.
·
After
arriving in Lucknow and understanding his mother’s fragile conditions Saharasri
Ji decides to stay back in Lucknow to ensure proper support and care for his
ailing mother.
·
Having
taken this decision absolutely on Humanitarian and Emotional grounds he was
also conscious of the directions given by Hon’ble Supreme Court. Therefore, he
instructs the legal team to move an application to the Hon’ble Supreme Court
immediately seeking an exemption from the hearing for that particular day.
While the rest of three directors were to attend the proceedings, his inability
to attend was also communicated in writing to our Senior Counsels personally by
Saharasri Ji citing the reasons in detail.
·
Accordingly
the very next day i.e. 25th Feb’14 our senior counsels Shri Ram
Jethmalani and Shri Ganesh move a special application for seeking personal
exemption along with a medical certificate issued by Padamshree Dr. Mansoor
Hasan Head of Cardiology Department of the best Hospital in City of Lucknow
run by Sahara India Pariwar, which clearly
states the fragile and deteriorating condition of Saharasri Ji’s Mother.
·
Accordingly
the same matter was mentioned in front of the special bench, however the
Hon’ble Justices did not grant us the short relief citing the reason as their
inability to modify the order dated 20th Feb’14, subsequently
Hon’ble Justices asked our counsel to take up the matter on the date of hearing
that is 26th Feb,’14.
·
It
is pertinent to mention that the condition of Saharasri Ji’s Mother continued
to remain fragile and he decided to stay back in Lucknow at the side of his
mother during this extremely critical phase hoping that Hon’ble Supreme Court
will consider his request on humanitarian grounds. In spite of being so
emotionally low Saharasri Ji again writes a personal letter to Shri Ram
Jethmalani Ji expressing his helplessness to leave lucknow with a request to
read out this letter during the court hearing .
·
On 26th Feb,’14 Senior Counsel Shri Ram
Jethmalani informs the special bench about Saharasri
Ji’s inability to be
present in Hon’ble Supreme Court to attend the hearing on 26th
February due to the critical condition of his mother. However, the justices
pass an order to serve non bailable warrant in the name of Saharasri Ji and in order to ensure the presence
on the next date of hearing i.e. on 4th March ’14.
·
On
27th Feb’14 Sahara files a special application seeking the recall of the
non-bailable warrant issued with an undertaking of Saharasri Ji to be present
on 4th March’14 without fail. On 27th Feb’, 14 evening, Lucknow
police visits Sahara Shaher in Gomtinagar Lucknow to serve the warrant to Saharasri
Ji.
·
During
the same time, he was out of Sahara Shaher Lucknow to consult with the panel of
doctors with certain medical reports of his mother and then also to visit a
lawyer’s residence.
·
On
his return late in the evening, Saharasri Ji was informed by the family members
about the police visit and about the news appearing in certain section of India
across the country.
·
On
28th Feb’14, in the early morning hours, as a law abiding citizen he
willfully decides to submit himself to Lucknow police based on the warrant
issued and asks them to proceed with their call of duty as per the directions
given by Hon’ble Supreme Court.
·
Today
morning, our senior counsels have again approached Hon’ble Supreme Court with a
plea and a personal appeal from Saharasri Ji to recall the non-bailable warrant
as he has willfully submitted himself to the Lucknow police. He gave an
assurance to be present in Hon’ble Supreme Court on the day of next hearing
i.e. 4th March’14.
·
At
this moment, as we speak Saharasri Ji is with UP police and cooperating
wholeheartedly with all the authorities in order to ensure the direction given
by Hon’ble Supreme Court.
For the
consumption of all those who are associated directly or indirectly, nationally
and globally, with us, we wish to reiterate the fact that Sahara India Pariwar
has always put our beloved nation ahead of any business interest and have
always have ensured compliance to the law of the land across our businesses and
processes.
From a humble
beginning in 1978, Sahara India Pariwar has created many milestones in the
journey and today we have a huge asset base which includes our 12Lac +
karyakartas and crores and crores of investors. In the past also, we have faced
many difficulties and each time we have reemerged more strongly and firmly. In
our endeavor to build our nation, we not only diversified our business in the
country but also expanded globally.
As you are
aware that we are fighting an ongoing long legal battle and are confident that
it will arrive to its logical conclusion soon, having stated the above, as a
responsible business organization with high level of discipline and ethics we
are committed to abide by the law of the land as we have been practicing
always.
Last but not
the least, Sri Subrata Roy Sahara to me
is not only a doting father but also a patriotic son of the soil who has
contributed immensely to the country in many ways whether it is various social
causes impacting lives of people across the length and breadth of the country
or whenever India needed its son to stand up and shoulder responsibilities like
helping the families of Kargil martyrs,
Mumbai terrorist attack martyrs and
victims of earth quacks, floods and other forms of natural calamity.
Today it pains me to see his reputation and image being maligned in this manner
and I humbly seek your support and cooperation.
In the end I
would like to read a small message Hon’ble Saharasri Ji
“My office, my collegues, my family
members are continuously getting calls, sms etc from media friends, relatives.
They want to hear from me. All I want to say is This
Is The Best Honour My Country Could Give Me”
Thanking you,
Sahara Pranam.
