Mangaluru: Serial killer Cyanide Mohan Kumar gets life term until death
cJan 31: The Sixth District and Additional Court convicted serial killer Cyanide Mohan Kumar in the sixth case of raping and killing a woman of Mittur for life imprisonment until death without remission, here on Thursday.
Mohan Kumar developed friendship with the woman aged 31 years who was working as a nurse in a private nursing home at Puttur, in the name of Sudhakar Gowda. After getting her phone number, he called her to Puttur bus stand on April 22, 2009. After taking Rs 2,000 from her bank account, they went to Mysuru.
Assuring of marrying her, he raped her at a lodge on the same day. Under the pretext of giving her contraceptive pills, he forced her to consume Cyanide at the bus stand. But later she died in a toilet at the bus stand. After conducting the postmortem, the police registered an unnatural death case.
Meanwhile, he returned from Mysuru to Puttur and called her family over phone that he had married her and not to try to search them. With this, her family members did not search for her even after she was missing. After his criminal activity came to light, Mohan Kumar spilled the beans.
On December 23, 2009, Bantwala inspector Nanjunde Gowda interrogated Mohan Kumar. Later he was taken to Mysuru to confirm his stay in the lodge booked in the name of Sudhakar Gowda. Public prosecutor Judith M Casta argued against Mohan Kumar.
Hearing through video conference
The court has awarded life imprisonment until death under various sections. The hearing of the accused who is in Belagavi Hindalga jail was conducted through video conference. Total 38 evidences, 72 records and 35 materials were considered for the hearing.
It was the sixth case. In one case, the High Court upheld the death sentence verdict given by the district court. Along with this, Mohan Kumar was getting life imprisonment for life in three cases.
Convection details
Under IPC Section 366, six years rigorous imprisonment, Rs 3,000 penalty and if fail to pay the penalty, he has to undergo one more month additional improvement. Under section 376 (Rape), seven years rigorous imprisonment and Rs 3,000 penalty and if failed to pay the penalty, he has to serve another one month imprisonment.
Under section 417(cheating), six months rigorous imprisonment, under section 328 (poisoning), seven years rigorous imprisonment and Rs 3000 penalty and if not paid the penalty, he has to undergo one more month imprisonment. Under section 302 (murder), life imprisonment to his death. Under section 201 (destroying of evidences), five years rigorous imprisonment and Rs 3,000 penalty, under section 392, five years rigorous imprisonment and Rs 3,000 penalty and it was said in the judgement that the family of the victim eligible to get compensation from the legal aid authority.
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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.
