Grandson arrested for posing as thief, robbing elderly grandmother in Bhatkal
Bhatkal: Police have arrested a man for allegedly robbing his own 92-year-old grandmother by posing as a thief. The accused, identified as 46-year-old Tajammul Hassan Askeri, was taken into custody on Wednesday, March 19, following an investigation led by Bhatkal Town Police Sub-Inspector Naveen Naik.
The incident took place on March 17, when the elderly woman reported that an unidentified man had entered her house during the early hours of the day and snatched away her gold ornaments. The crime occurred when the women in the house were engaged in morning prayers, and the men had gone to the mosque for prayers after Sehri, the pre-dawn meal during Ramadan.
According to the victim, the assailant covered her mouth and attempted to strangle her when she tried to call for help. CCTV footage from the house revealed that the crime took place within a span of four minutes, with the suspect entering and leaving uninterrupted.
Following the robbery, the accused himself had lodged a police complaint on behalf of his grandmother, pretending to assist the authorities in tracking down the culprit. However, as the investigation progressed, the police uncovered his involvement, leading to his arrest.
Sub-Inspector Naveen Naik, speaking to Vartha Bharati confirmed the arrest, stating that Tajammul was arrested on Wednesday and was set to be produced before the court later in the evening.
Family sources revealed that after committing the crime, the accused initially remained at home but fled two days later when he feared that the police were closing in on him. They also disclosed that this was not his first such attempt, claiming that he had previously engaged in similar acts but the family had chosen not to report them, opting instead to settle the matters privately.
The incident, which took place during the holy month of Ramadan, caused panic in the town, with residents sharing the news widely on social media and urging others to remain vigilant against robberies.
Sources also added that CCTV footage around the house were one of the reasons that helped the police team in identifying the accused.
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Trump returns from China; terms meeting with Xi as 'G-2'
Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump returned from a visit to China, describing his discussions with President Xi Jinping as a meeting of leaders of "two great countries".
Trump landed at the Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on the outskirts of the US capital on Friday evening, claiming to have struck important trade deals, including one for China's purchase of 200 aircraft from Boeing, with a promise for another 750, as well as agreements benefiting the American agriculture sector.
The US President reached here after a brief refuelling stop at Anchorage in Alaska.
“It’s the two great countries. I call it the G-2. This is the G-2. I think it’ll go down as a very important moment in history,” Trump told Fox News in an interview after meeting Xi on Thursday.
The Washington Post reported that Trump’s remarks put China on an equal footing with the US, exactly what Xi had aimed to achieve with the visit.
“Over two days of meetings here, the carefully choreographed pageantry and the reciprocal gestures of friendship and respect between the world’s two most powerful men displayed a geopolitical dynamic that the Chinese have long craved and Americans had resisted," the Post said.
Trump told Fox News that the relationship with Xi was important and suggested that China may not resort to any aggressive moves over Taiwan, at least till he is in office.
“It’s not a takeover. They just don’t want to see this place — we’ll call it a place because nobody knows how to define it — but they don’t want to see it go independent,” Trump said.
“I don’t think they’ll do anything when I’m here. When I’m not here. I think they might, to be honest with you,” Trump said.
"I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down," he said.
"We're not looking to have wars, and if you kept it the way it is, I think China's going to be OK with that," he added.
The US President said he had invited Xi for a visit to Washington in September.
“Xi has done something Chinese leaders have been working toward for decades — bringing an American president to Beijing as an undisputed peer,” said Julian Gewirtz, who served as China director on the National Security Council under President Joe Biden.
“Xi used the opulent optics of the visit to make clear to the world that China and the United States are the two dominant, equally matched superpowers. There is no going back.”
Trump’s friendly statements toward Xi and the Chinese people were being amplified in China’s state-controlled media, sending the message that “we’re getting along better with the Americans,” John Delury, a senior Fellow at the Asia Society, was quoted as saying by The New York Times.
It was understandable that Trump wanted to be polite to Xi, but that the American president’s gushing approach “weakens Trump and the US”, R. Nicholas Burns, the ambassador to China during the Biden administration, was quoted as saying in The New York Times.
“Xi did not hesitate to warn Trump over Taiwan. Trump should not hesitate to be frank about our concerns, too,” he said.
Trump and Xi are expected to meet at least three times this year.
The US President has invited Xi to the White House in September.
Trump may travel to Shenzhen in China for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in November. And Xi could come to the G-20 summit in December in Miami.
“This is a summit again that was heavier on symbolism than it was on substance — focus on managing problems, not on solving the problems that exist between the US and China,” said Rush Doshi, former National Security Council deputy senior director for China and Taiwan in the Biden administration.
“The way that both leaders talked about the future indicates that this is going to be part of a process that will play out this year,” said Kurt Campbell, former deputy secretary of State in the Biden administration.
