NEWSMAKERS OF THE WEEK

THE TRAGIC DEATH OF TOP COP HIMANSHU ROY BRINGS TO FORE THE ABSENCE OF COUNSELLING OF THOSE IN HIGH-STRESSED JOBS WHO RISK THEIR LIVES ON A DAILY BASIS AND HAVE NOTHING TO FALL BACK ON.

HIMANSHU ROY

Maharashtra's Additional Director General of Police Himanshu Roy reportedly committed suicide by shooting himself in Mumbai on Friday afternoon. Roy, would have turned 55 next month, was fighting cancer and was on medical leave since 2016. He was involved in many highprofile investigations, including journalist J. Dey’s murder case and the murder of fringe Bollywood actor Laila Khan.

SRINIVAS KUCHIBHOTLA

US Navy veteran, Adam Purinton, the man who killed Srinivas Kuchibhotla and injured two others including an Indian, in a racially motivated shooting attack has been sentenced to life imprisonment. The Johnson county, Kansas District Court judge sentenced Purinton to nearly 78 years in prison as part of a plea agreement reached in March. In March this year, Adam, 52, had pleaded guilty to the charges of murdering Kuchibhotla.

MELANIA TRUMP

First Lady Melania Trump has been caught up in another plagiarism row, following the launch of her online safety for children campaign. The booklet bore striking resemblance to the one published under the Obama administration. In 2016 Melania was accused of plagiarising parts of a speech from a 2008 address by Michelle Obama. After similarities to the Obama-era were picked up, the text was revised to a ‘Federal Trade Commission booklet.’

SUN ZHENGCAI

Sun Zhengcai, once tipped to become President Xi Jinping’s successor and later accused of plotting a coup against him, was sentenced to life imprisonment for taking $26.7 million in bribes. Until his arrest last year, the Communist Party’s 54-year-old top official was widely tipped to become Xi’s successor. In addition to being imprisoned, he was deprived of political rights for life and all his personal property was confiscated. Sun pleaded guilty and expressed “sincere repentance.”

VIJAY MALLYA

Liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya, who is undergoing an extradition trial in a UK court over fraud and money laundering charges by Indian authorities, lost a lawsuit filed by 13 Indian banks in the UK High Court seeking to collect from him more than $1.55 billion. Judge The judge refused to overturn a worldwide order freezing 62year-old Mallya’s assets and upheld an Indian court’s ruling.