TN man 'sends hoax bomb threat' to residences of CM Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D K Shivakumar
probe launched
Bengaluru (PTI): A probe has been launched to trace a man from Tamil Nadu who allegedly sent a hoax email recently threatening to blow up the residences of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, police said on Tuesday.
The emails were sent from a particular ID to the Tamil Nadu DGP on October 11, following which officials of the Karnataka police were immediately alerted and necessary precautionary measures were taken, they said.
The purported email from aarna.ashwinshekher@outlook.com claimed that “four RDX devices and several IEDs” had been planted at the residences of both the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister and would be “detonated remotely.”
As per protocol, precautionary measures were initiated, and the Bengaluru police carried out combing operations at both residences with the bomb detection and disposal squad. However, after thorough checks, the emails were declared a hoax, a senior police officer said.
A case was registered by the police on their own against the sender of the purported email at Halasuru Gate police station under sections 351(4) (criminal intimidation) and 353(1)(b) (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the officer said.
“The particular email ID has been tracked to a man from Tamil Nadu and efforts are on to nab the culprit. However, what we have observed is that in the past few months, we have repeatedly received such emails with similar threats and content, which later turn out to be hoax,” he said.
“A special investigation team has also been formed to trace those behind such hoax emails. Further investigation is underway,” he added.
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India proposes preferential trade agreement with Mexico to deal with high tariffs
New Delhi (PTI): India has proposed a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Mexico to help domestic exporters deal with the steep tariffs announced by the South American country, a top government official said on Monday.
Mexico has decided to impose steep import tariffs - ranging from about 5 per cent to as high as 50 per cent on a wide range of goods (about 1,463 tariff lines) from countries that do not have free trade agreements with Mexico, including India, China, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that India has engaged with the country on the issue.
"Technical level talks are on...The only fast way forward is to try to get a preferential trade agreement (PTA) because an FTA (free trade agreement) will take a lot of time. So we are trying to see what can be a good way forward," he told reporters here.
While in an FTA two trading partners either significantly reduce or eliminate import duties on maximum number of goods traded between them, in a PTA, duties are cut or removed on a limited number of products.
Trading partners of Mexico cannot file a compliant against the decision on imposing high tariffs as they are WTO (World Trade Organisation) compatible.
The duties are within their bound rates, he said, adding that their primary target was not India.
"We have proposed a PTA because its a WTO-compatible way forward... we can do a PTA and try to get concessions that are required for Indian supply chains and similarly offer them concessions where they have export interests in India," Agrawal said.
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Citing support for local production and correction of trade imbalances, Mexico has approved an increase in MFN (most favoured nation) import tariffs (5-50 per cent) with effect from January 1, 2026 on 1,455 tariff lines (or product categories) within the WTO framework, targeting non-FTA partners.
Preliminary estimates suggest that this affects India's around USD 2 billion exports to Mexico particularly -- automobile, two-wheelers, auto parts, textiles, iron and steel, plastics, leather and footwear.
The measure is also aimed at curbing Chinese imports.
India-Mexico merchandise trade totalled USD 8.74 billion in 2024, with exports USD 5.73 billion, imports USD 3.01 billion, and a trade surplus of USD 2.72 billion.
The government has been continuously and comprehensively assessing Mexico's tariff revisions since the issue emerged, engaging stakeholders, safeguarding the interests of Indian exporters, and pursuing constructive dialogue to ensure a stable trade environment benefiting businesses and consumers in both countries.
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Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai has said that Mexico's decision is a matter of concern, particularly for sectors like automobiles and auto components, machinery, electrical and electronics, organic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and plastics.
"Such steep duties will erode our competitiveness and risk, disrupting supply chains that have taken years to develop," Sahai said, adding that this development also underlines the little urgency for India and Mexico to fast-track a comprehensive trade agreement.
Domestic auto component manufacturers will face enhanced cost pressures with Mexico hiking duties on Indian imports, according to industry body ACMA.
