Lawyer urges government to set up SIT helpline for Dharmasthala complaint victims
Mangaluru: Advocate Manjunath N, representing Sujatha Bhat in the Dharmasthala missing persons case, has urged the government to immediately establish a public helpline for victims and their families to file complaints directly with the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
In a late-night press statement on Monday, the lawyer emphasised the need for an accessible communication channel in light of the SIT’s ongoing probe into the alleged mass burial incident in Dharmasthala. He noted that while several families have attempted to approach local police stations with their complaints, they have reportedly faced significant difficulties and hesitation in doing so.
Manjunath stated that many relatives of victims have contacted him personally, expressing their fear and the challenges they encounter when trying to file official complaints.
He further urged the government to take steps to publicise the SIT helpline widely so that people can come forward without fear or procedural hurdles. According to him, since the scope of the SIT investigation is wide, an easy and transparent method for the public to submit information is crucial.
Additionally, Manjunath requested the government to grant the SIT office an official status equivalent to that of a police station. This, he said, would help prevent the accused from exploiting legal loopholes to obtain court-issued restraining orders, a practice reportedly occurring in cases where the SIT does not hold formal police station powers.
The SIT is currently handling both the mass burial investigation and the disappearance case of Ananya Bhat, a first-year MBBS student who went missing during a 2003–2004 visit to the Dharmasthala temple. Her mother, Sujatha Bhat, is the primary complainant in the case.
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Armed man shot and killed after entering secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, US Secret Service says
Washington (AP): The US Secret Service announced Sunday that an armed man was shot and killed after entering the secure perimeter of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump's resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
Although Trump often spends weekends at his resort, he was at the White House during this incident. First lady Melania Trump was also with the president.
The name of the person who was shot has not been released. According to the Secret Service, he was “observed by the north gate of the Mar-a-Lago property carrying what appeared to be a shotgun and a fuel can.” The incident took place at 1:30 am Sunday.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Rick Bradshaw, speaking at a brief press conference, said the man was confronted by two Secret Service agents and a sheriff's deputy.
“He was ordered to drop those two pieces of equipment that he had with them. At which time he put down the gas can, raised the shotgun to a shooting position," Bradshaw said. The two agents and the deputy "fired their weapons to neutralize the threat.”
The FBI asked residents who live near Mar-a-Lago to check any security cameras they may have for footage that could help investigators.
The suspect, who was in his early 20s and from North Carolina, was reported missing a few days ago by his family. Investigators believe he left North Carolina and headed south, picking up a shotgun along the way, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said, who added that the box for the gun was recovered in his vehicle.
Guglielmi said that the man drove through the north gate of Mar-a-Lago as another vehicle was exiting.
Investigators are working to compile a psychological profile and a motive is still under investigation. Asked whether the individual was known to law enforcement, Bradshaw said “not right now.”
The incident comes as the US has been rocked multiple times in recent years by political violence. Just last year, that included the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the assassination of the Democratic leader in the Minnesota state House and her husband and the shooting of another lawmaker and his wife, and an arson attack at the official residence of Pennsylvania Gov Josh Shapiro.
The incursion on Saturday at Trump's Florida home is a few miles from his West Palm Beach golf club where a man tried to assassinate Trump while he played golf during the 2024 election. A Secret Service agent spotted that man, Ryan Routh, aiming a rifle through the shrubbery before Trump came into view. Officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire and caused Routh to drop his weapon.
Routh was found guilty last year and sentenced this month to life in prison.
Trump also survived an assassination attempt at a Butler, Pennsylvania campaign rally in 2024. That gunman fired eight shots before being killed by a Secret Service counter sniper.
The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on Sunday.
