'Serial killer' involved in 11 murders arrested in Telangana
Hyderabad, Dec 12: Police in Nagarkurnool district of Telangana on Tuesday arrested a 'serial killer' who was allegedly involved in the murders of as many as 11 people in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Ramati Sathyanarayana (47), a native of Nagarkurnool, about 130 kms from Hyderabad, brutally killed 11 innocent people by deceiving them on the promise of unearthing hidden treasures for them, police said.
The modus operandi of the accused was to lure people in the name of finding treasures for them by making them believe that he could do so by performing puja.
He would take money or get lands registered in his name and then take the victims to isolated places where he killed them by pouring acid and some unknown poison in their mouth, a police release said.
As soon as they became partially unconscious, he threw boulders on their head, it said.
The accused has indulged in this kind of offences since 2020 and managed to escape from the police net.
"...so far, the accused killed 11 persons, including female persons. As of now his role is identified in eight cases across both Telugu states (Telangana and AP) and Karnataka," the release said.
Police began investigation after a woman complained on November 26 that her husband left their home at Langar House in Hyderabad to meet one Sathyanarayana in Nagarkurnool but did not return home even after five days.
When the woman and her family members met the accused to know the whereabouts of her husband before she approached police, he did not give proper answers, a police release said.
The police SI at Nagarkurnool, who took up investigation had found the behaviour of the accused Ramati Sathyanarayana suspicious.
Police said the accused, who was into real estate business in Nagarkurnool and also practised herbal medicine, was in the habit of treasure hunts.
He had informed his real estate friends about his practices for finding hidden treasures.
The complainant's husband, Venkatesh, and his friends who came to know about the accused, approached him for finding hidden treasures, the release said.
He agreed to their request and asked them for money with a condition that only Venkatesh should contact him during the process of finding treasure.
After claiming to be making efforts to find a treasure, the accused had told Venkatesh that three pregnant women should be sacrificed which caused fear in the latter.
Venkatesh asked the accused to return the money.
However, the accused gave some poisonous herbs to the victim claiming it to be holy water on December 4 and took him to some hillock the same day on the pretext of performing a puja and killed him by pouring acid when the victim fell unconscious, the release said.
During investigation, based on credible information, police apprehended the accused.
"During further investigation by the CI of police-Nagarkurnool, unbelievable and sensational killings of 10 more persons was unearthed in the confession of the accused Ramati Sathyanarayana," the release 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.
