Delhi: Four wanted Bihar gangsters killed in police encounter in Rohini
New Delhi (PTI): Four wanted criminals allegedly involved in multiple cases of murder in Bihar were killed in a shootout with a joint team of Delhi Police and Bihar Police in Rohini in the early hours of Thursday, police said.
The accused, identified as Ranjan Pathak (25), Bimlesh Mahto alias Bimlesh Sahni (25), Manish Pathak (33) and Aman Thakur (21), all residents of Bihar's Sitamarhi district, were part of the 'Sigma Gang', they said.
The encounter, which took place around 2.20 am on Bahadur Shah Marg in Rohini, was one of the biggest carried out in Delhi in recent years, police said.
The accused, who were wanted for heinous crimes, including multiple murders and extortion, were reportedly planning to carry out criminal activities in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled next month.
A police source said they had committed a murder in Bihar after the model code of conduct came into place for the elections on October 6.
Ranjan Pathak, the kingpin of the gang carrying a bounty of Rs 25,000 for information leading to his arrest, was reportedly wanted in eight criminal cases.
The encounter took place when the joint team launched an operation to trace the accused, who were reportedly hiding in Delhi for the past several days, a senior police officer said.
During the operation, the accused allegedly opened fire at the police team, prompting retaliatory action that left all four injured, the officer said.
They were rushed to a hospital in Rohini, where doctors declared them dead, he added.
Delhi Police tracked the accused's movements after receiving inputs from Bihar Police, officials said.
Acting on specific intelligence that the gang was planning a major criminal operation ahead of Bihar polls, a joint team of Delhi Police Crime Branch and Bihar Police mounted surveillance and laid a trap in the area, the officer said.
The 243-member Bihar Assembly will got to polls in two phases, on November 6 and November 11, and the counting will take place on November 14.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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.
ALSO READ: Mexico's Congress approves higher tariffs on goods from India, China and non-FTA nations
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.
ALSO READ: Search operation ends in Anjaw truck accident, 20 bodies recovered
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.
