Senior Finance Ministry official killed, three injured as BMW hits motorcycle in Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 14 (PTI): A senior official of the Union Ministry of Finance was killed and three people, including his wife, were injured after a BMW allegedly hit his motorcycle near Delhi Cantonment metro station on Ring Road here on Sunday, police said.
The deceased was identified as Navjot Singh (52), Deputy Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and a resident of Hari Nagar, they added.
Police said three PCR calls were received in the afternoon about a traffic jam near metro pillar number 67 on the Dhaula Kuan-Delhi Cantt stretch. A team rushed to the spot and found a BMW X5 lying sideways on the road and a motorcycle parked near the road divider.
Eyewitnesses told police that a woman was driving the car when it hit the motorcycle from behind.
Singh was driving the motorcycle and his wife was riding pillion. They were rushed to a hospital in a taxi by the woman and her husband who were in the BMW. The front portion of the car was mangled due to the impact of the collision, according to the eyewitnesses.
Later, police were informed by the hospital where Singh and his wife were taken that he succumbed to injuries, while his wife, 50, was undergoing treatment.
Police said the BMW driver and her husband, who runs a business, are residents of Gurugram. The couple also sustained injuries in the accident and has been hospitalised. Their statements are yet to be recorded.
"The BMW and the motorcycle involved in the accident have been seized. The spot was examined by a crime team and experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory were called in for assistance. An FIR is being registered in the matter and an investigation is underway," a senior police officer said.
Traffic movement in the area was disrupted for some time but was restored after the damaged vehicles were removed from the road.
Singh's son said his parents were returning from Bangla Sahib Gurdwara and stopped at Karnataka Bhawan for eating.
"They were on their way to Hari Nagar via Dhaula Kuan when the incident happened. Instead of taking them to a nearby hospital, they were taken (to a hospital) nearly 22 km from the accident site. My mother suffered a head injury, even though she was wearing a helmet, and a fractured femur," he told PTI Videos.
He also alleged negligence on the part of the hospital authorities in admitting his parents.
He claimed that his mother was made to sit in the lobby at the hospital despite her serious condition, while the husband of the BMW driver, who suffered minor injuries, was immediately admitted.
"Because of this negligence and delay, my father was declared dead, and my mother kept screaming in pain," he added.
The family later shifted her to Venkateshwara Hospital for better treatment. "My mother, who is a teacher, is devastated and so are we," he said.
Central Secretariat Services Forum President Udit Arya condoled Singh's death in a post on X.
"Heartfelt condolences to the family of Navjyot Singh sir who tragically lost his life in the accident. @PMOIndia @DelhiPolice, please ensure a thorough investigation and justice for the bereaved family. May they find strength during this difficult time,” he said.
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.
Trump rushed out of dinner event after shots fired; one arrested
Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump and other top White House officials were evacuated unharmed from the annual dinner of White House correspondents after a man armed with multiple weapons fired shots outside the ballroom of the hotel.
The incident took place at around 8:34 PM local time when dinner was served. At that time, Trump was seen having a conversation with Weijia Jiang, the President of the White House Correspondents' Association, and mentalist Oz Pearlman, who was scheduled to present a show at the marquee event at the Washington Hilton here.
Secret Service officials and other security personnel covered the President, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J D Vance, and the Second Lady Usha Vance, who were seated at the head table, and escorted them out of the ballroom.
Several guests at the dinner, including leaders across the political spectrum, journalists and other invitees, ducked under the table, apparently as a reflex reaction.
Putting up a brave face, President Trump later announced on Truth Social that the dinner would be rescheduled within 30 days.
“Boom, boom, boom, boom is all that I heard, and many guests ducked under the table,” a C-SPAN reporter at the dinner said.
Hours later, Trump addressed a press conference at the White House and announced that the security personnel had captured one person who hails from California.
“I heard a noise and sort of thought it was a tray going down. I've heard that many times. It was a pretty loud noise, and it was from quite far away. He (the attacker) hadn't reached the area at all. They really got him,” Trump told reporters, recalling the incident.
Trump said one security officer was shot at but saved as he was wearing a bulletproof vest.
Several protestors had lined up on the road outside the hotel, raising slogans against the Trump administration and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
A CNN reporter who was outside the ballroom at the Washington Hilton said he saw a gunman opening fire just a few feet away. He was among the dozens of attendees who took cover as law enforcement swarmed the venue.
The suspect has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen from California.
Asked how Saturday’s incident impacts him as the US president, Trump told reporters he is in a dangerous job but that he is no “basket case.”
“I like not to think about it. I lead a pretty normal life, considering, you know, it’s a dangerous life. I think I handle it as well as it can be handled,” Trump said.
Trump has survived two assassination attempts over the past two years – first at a presidential election campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024, and later in Palm Beach, Florida, on September 15, 2024.
“I will say you had Republicans, Democrats, independents, conservatives, liberals, and progressives...everybody in that room, big crowd, record-setting crowd,” he said.
“We had some great work done by law enforcement, but in light of this evening's events, I ask that all Americans recommit with their hearts in resolving our differences peacefully,” Trump said.
