Realtor 'suicide': K'taka HM directs police to investigate circumstances that led to incident
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Saturday said the police have been directed to conduct an inquiry into the circumstances that led to the "suicide" of Confident Group chairperson C J Roy, who allegedly shot himself dead his office here when I-T officials were present in connection with earlier searches.
Speaking to reporters, Parameshwara said the Income Tax Department had earlier conducted searches at Roy's company and were in the process of completing statutory procedures.
"There was a raid in his company in December (last). There is a rule that within 60 days a charge sheet has to be filed in the court. They had to finalise before February 4. Hence, he was summoned," he said.
Roy had recently returned from abroad and was cooperating with the authorities, he added.
"Three days ago, he had returned from Dubai. The I-T officials went to his office to record his statement. He too responded to it," Parameshwara said.
"In the meantime, Roy told the officials that he would be back in five minutes but he did not return even after 20 minutes. Then his suicide came to the notice."
Parameshwara said he has ordered a police inquiry into the incident.
"I have directed police officials to conduct an inquiry into the circumstances that led to the incident. Things will be clear only after the report comes out," he said.
He added that Roy's family has linked the incident to the I-T action. "Roy's brother has also given a statement that this incident happened due to I-T raids. Our police officers haven't looked into it from that aspect," he said.
When asked whether there was any political angle to the increasing Income Tax raids, the HM declined to speculate.
"As the Home Minister I would not say anything more than it," he said.
Clarifying on the scope of the probe, Parameshwara said, "Police will only investigate the suicide case. If something else emerges then that will also be investigated."
Real estate tycoon Roy, who was in his late 50s, suffered bullet injuries from his licensed firearm at his office near Richmond Circle in the city.
Soon after a gunshot was heard, staff members rushed to his room and found him lying in a pool of blood. He was immediately taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
I-T sources said searches on Roy's premises had begun about two months ago.
Roy's brother has alleged that he might have taken the extreme step due to pressure from the central agency.
Roy was originally from Kerala.
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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.
