Punjab: Law student kills woman classmate inside classroom, then shoots himself
Chandigarh (PTI): A first-year law student in Punjab's Tarn Taran district on Monday allegedly shot dead his fellow woman student in the head inside the classroom before turning the gun on himself and pulling the trigger, as horrified classmates watched.
The weapon used in the crime appeared to be illegal, police said, adding that the accused, Prince Raj, 20, -- the son of a retired Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel -- was critically injured and undergoing treatment, while Sandeep Kaur, 19, died on the spot.
Both Prince and Sandeep were first-year law students and classmates at Mai Bhago Law College in Usma village in Tarn Taran.
A family member of Sandeep alleged that Prince had been harassing her for some time, while her mother, Harjinder Kaur, questioned how a student managed to bring a firearm into the college. Sandeep was engaged to be married, her family said.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Jagbir Singh said Prince opened fire on Sandeep inside the classroom shortly before the class was to begin and then turned the gun on himself.
Prince was taken to Guru Nanak Dev hospital in Amritsar, where his condition was stated to be critical, police said.
Tarn Taran Senior Superintendent of Police Surendra Lamba said an investigation was underway to determine the motive behind the killing.
"Prima facie, they appear to have been friends. Possibly, the friendship turned bitter. It is all part of the investigation," he said, adding that police will question the friends and family members of the duo.
The SSP said an FIR has been registered on the complaint of the family of the deceased.
The entire incident was captured on a CCTV camera installed in the classroom. The footage showed Prince, Sandeep, and another female student sitting together, while some other students could also be seen.
Suddenly, Prince got up, took out a pistol from his bag and shot Sandeep. He then shot himself in the head and fell on the floor. The shocked student, sitting with Sandeep, got up and checked on her, but she was motionless.
A few students rushed inside the classroom after hearing the gunshot, but fled upon seeing Sandeep.
Sandeep's mother said she got a call from the college authorities, informing her that her daughter had been injured.
"I was not told that she was shot," Harjinder told reporters, adding that when she reached the college, she found her daughter lying motionless.
A widow and the sole breadwinner of the family, Harjinder has seven daughters, including Sandeep, and a son.
Prince hailed from Mallian village, while Sandeep was a resident of Naushehra Pannuan village.
Police have deployed additional force on the campus and called a forensic team. Investigators are probing how the accused procured the weapon and how it was brought into the college premises, officials said.
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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.
