Mumbai hoarding collapse: Key accused arrested from Lucknow
Mumbai (PTI): Mumbai Police have arrested a key accused in the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse case from Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow, officials said on Tuesday.
The accused, identified as businessman Arshad Khan (42), was on the run for the last seven months after being called to record his statement in connection with the case, an official said.
As many as 17 persons were killed and more than 80 injured after the gigantic illegal hoarding crashed on a petrol pump in Ghatkopar area here amid gusty winds and rain on May 13.
During the investigation, it came to light that Ego Media Private Limited, which installed the hoarding, had transferred Rs 82 lakh to the bank accounts of some people linked to Arshad Khan, the official said.
Khan was a business associate of the wife of former Government Railway Police (GRP) commissioner Quaiser Khalid, he said.
After recording his initial statement, Khan did not turn up before the Mumbai Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has been conducting the probe into the case.
The police were searching for Khan for the last couple of months, but he kept changing his location, the official said.
Khan was finally apprehended from Lucknow on Sunday, he added.
Khalid, who was the Government Railway Police commissioner when the hoarding was sanctioned on the GRP land, has been suspended for alleged lapses.
There were several transactions from the bank accounts of Ego Media Private Limited to the accounts of people linked to Khan.
Most of these transactions took place when Khalid was GRP commissioner, police earlier claimed.
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Trump says EU has until July 4 to approve last year's trade deal or it will face higher tariffs
Washington (AP): President Donald Trump has said in a social media post that goods from the European Union would face higher tariff rates if the 27-member bloc fails to approve last year's trade framework by July 4.
The announcement on Thursday appeared to be a deadline extension after the president said last Friday that EU autos would face a higher 25 per cent tariff starting this week. Trump made the updated announcement after what he described as a "great call" with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Still, the US president was displeased that the European Parliament had yet to finalize the trade arrangement reached last year, which was further complicated in February by the US Supreme Court ruling that Trump lacked the legal authority to declare an economic emergency to impose the initial tariffs used to pressure the EU into talks.
"A promise was made that the EU would deliver their side of the Deal and, as per Agreement, cut their Tariffs to ZERO!" Trump posted. "I agreed to give her until our Country's 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels."
It was unclear from the post whether Trump was implying that the tariff rates would jump on all EU goods or the increase would only apply to autos.
His latest statement indicates he might be backing away from his earlier threat on EU autos by giving the European Parliament several more weeks to approve the agreement.
Under the original terms of the framework, the US would charge a 15 per cent tax on most goods imported from the EU.
But since the Supreme Court ruling, the administration has levied a 10 per cent tariff while investigating trade imbalances and national security issues, aiming to put in new tariffs to make up for lost revenues.
