Police informer killed by Naxals in Chhattisgarh
Jagdalpur: A police informer was hacked to death by Naxals in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, police said Sunday.
The incident occurred late Saturday night when the deceased, identified as Chhannu Sodhi (30), was on a visit to Bastanar weekly market under Kodenar police station area of the district, a local police official said.
Sodhi was attacked by a 'small action team' of Naxals (typically comprising four-five cadres) with axes, leaving him dead on the spot, he said.
Soon after being alerted, a police team was rushed to the spot and the body was brought for the post-mortem, the official said, adding that a search operation was launched in the area to trace the assailants.
Sodhi was working as 'gopaniya sainik' (secret police informer), who are appointed by district superintendent of police at local level for anti-Naxal operations, especially for gathering intelligence.
Mostly surrendered cadres work as police informers, but Sodhi had not been associated with the outlawed Maoists, the official added.
According to police, Sodhi was working in Katekalyan police station area of neighbouring Dantewada district and became a victim of a Maoist trap.
"Maoists had recently put up pamphlets in its Darbha division and other places and tried to lure their surrendered colleagues, who are now working as assistant police constables and informers, to return to their villages and stop helping security forces," Dantewada Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava told PTI.
Maoists had claimed that those who return to their villages will be given lands and houses, a promise which was nothing but a ploy. Sodhi fell into this trap and returned to his village without informing police, he said.
"I had warned Sodhi and other assistant constables, mostly recruited in District Reserve Guard (DRG) - state's anti-Naxal force, and police informers that they should not get influenced by the Maoist conspiracy and should not return to their villages," Pallava added.
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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.
