Sant Singh Chatwal Receives Padma Award
By Arnab Ghosh, Gaea News NetworkThursday, April 8, 2010
NEW DELHI, INDIA (GaeaTimes.com)- The Padma Bhushan awards were given to the recipients yesterday by the President of India Pratibha Patil and among the recipients was Sant Singh Chatwal, a NRI Indian hotelier. There were some allegations slapped on the hotelier earlier but he said that the truth has come out. He accepted the Padma awards from Pratibha Patil, the president at the Rashtrapati Bhawan and said that he deliberate chose to remain mum over the issue. He got a boost after the Delhi High Court quashed a PIL filed by SK Shah on Monday. The appeal was filed to cancel the Padma award given to Sant Singh Chatwal.
The judge dismissed the case filed against hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal saying that he has no criminal cases slapped against him in the country. Madan Lokur, the chief justice declined to interfere with the decision of the Indian government to confer the award to the hotelier. The judge also said that all procedures were followed while selecting him as the recipient of the coveted award. While he received the award from the president the hotelier appeared calm and alter he said that the doubts have been resolved by the judgment of the High court.
Apart from Sant Singh Chatwal, the NRI hotelier the coveted award was also given to noted music composer Ilaiyaraaja. Y V Reddy, former governor of RBI, reputed theater artist Zohra Sehgal was given Padma Vibhushan award. The prestigious Padma Shree award was given to actor Rekha, Saif Ali Khan, music composer Resul Pookutty and boxer Vijender Singh. The event was covered by media entities.
