BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla has claimed that his mother was seriously injured after being struck by a car in an alleged hit-and-run incident in Pune. The accused reportedly fled the spot after the incident, leaving her critically injured.

According to Poonawalla, the incident occurred a few hours earlier and his mother is scheduled to undergo surgery. He appealed to authorities to identify and arrest the person responsible at the earliest.

Sharing details on social media, Poonawalla said an unidentified individual ran a car over his mother and escaped from the scene. He requested prayers for her recovery and expressed anguish over the incident, describing his mother as a compassionate person whose injury had deeply shaken him.

He also tagged Pune City Police, senior police officials, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging strict legal action against the accused and ensuring that the person does not evade accountability.

CCTV footage surfaces, police complaint to be filed

In a related development, Poonawalla’s brother and political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla shared CCTV footage on social media that allegedly shows the moment their mother was hit by the vehicle.

Tehseen stated that his mother, a senior citizen, had stepped out of the car while it was being refuelled when the incident occurred. He alleged that the act appeared deliberate and said efforts were underway to identify the vehicle involved.

He further confirmed that a police complaint would be filed and questioned how the vehicle could have hit his mother when she was standing at a distance from the car.

Fractured hip, surgery planned

Providing an update on her medical condition, Tehseen said their mother had suffered a fractured hip and would require surgical intervention. She has been admitted to hospital and doctors are monitoring her vitals ahead of surgery.

He described the incident as infuriating and heartbreaking, adding that his mother would need a rod implant following the hip surgery. He also said he had spoken to senior police officials and expressed hope that swift action would be taken.

Authorities have not yet issued an official statement on the incident. Further details are awaited as investigations continue.

Three minor sisters died after jumping from the ninth floor of their apartment building in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, allegedly following objections by their parents to their online gaming habits.

The incident occurred at Bharat City, a residential township in Ghaziabad, at around 2 am on Wednesday. The girls were found dead at the spot.

The sisters have been identified as Pakhi, aged 12, Prachi, 14, and Vishika, 16.

According to police, the three siblings were extremely close and spent most of their time together. They reportedly followed the same daily routine, including bathing, eating, attending school, and sleeping together.

Preliminary findings suggest the girls had become addicted to online gaming during the COVID-19 pandemic. They were reportedly playing an online task-based game referred to as a ‘Korean love game’. Police also said the sisters were not attending school regularly.

Investigators said the parents had objected to the girls’ excessive gaming, following which the incident allegedly took place. Police teams reached the spot soon after and have begun an investigation to ascertain the exact sequence of events.

Further details are awaited as the probe continues.

India’s exports to the United States are expected to gain momentum following Washington’s decision to reduce tariffs on Indian goods to 18%, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday, describing the move as a “good auguring” for exporters.

Speaking in an interview to media, Sitharaman said the tariff reduction would help Indian exporters regain competitiveness in the US market, particularly after the sharp impact of punitive duties imposed last year.

“So, actually our exports will pick up now, that is my expectation,” she said, adding that exporters had also identified alternative markets during the period of elevated tariffs and would continue operating in them.

Tariff rollback brings relief after export setback

The US had imposed steep tariffs of up to 50% on Indian goods last year, which significantly raised landed costs and squeezed exporter margins. Several sectors, including steel, aluminium, textiles, engineering goods and certain agricultural products, were affected as US buyers diverted orders to other suppliers.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump announced a reduction in tariffs on Indian goods to 18% as part of a broader trade understanding. The agreement includes India lowering trade barriers and committing to stop purchases of Russian oil, instead sourcing energy from the US and potentially Venezuela.

On implementation, the revised tariff structure would bring duties on Indian exports broadly in line with other Asian economies, where rates range between 15% and 19%.

Improved competitiveness against regional rivals

The 18% tariff undercuts duties imposed on key regional competitors such as Vietnam and Bangladesh, which face tariffs of around 20%. This is expected to restore India’s price advantage in the US market.

Labour-intensive sectors such as apparel, footwear and jewellery are likely to see the most immediate benefit. These segments had witnessed a sharp fall in orders after the 50% tariffs imposed in August severely dented competitiveness.

Earlier in the day, Sitharaman described the development as “good news for #MadeInIndia products” in a social media post, noting that Indian goods would now face reduced duties in the US market.

Trade and capital flow impact

Earlier punitive tariffs had also weighed on bilateral trade. India’s trade surplus with the US shrank by an average of USD 2.5 billion per month between September and December 2025 compared to the January–August period, according to research cited in the report.

Investor sentiment had weakened as well, with foreign investors pulling out nearly USD 14 billion in equities since July 2025.

The rollback of the additional 25% punitive tariff linked to Russian oil purchases effectively lowers the applied tariff on Indian exports from 50% to 18%, offering significant relief to exporters and improving prospects for a recovery in trade flows.

The Kremlin on Tuesday said it has not received any official communication from India regarding a halt in Russian oil purchases, following claims by US President Donald Trump that New Delhi had agreed to stop buying Russian crude as part of a trade agreement with Washington.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow had not heard any confirmation from Indian authorities on the matter.

“So far, we haven’t heard any statements from New Delhi on this matter,” Peskov said, responding to Trump’s remarks linking reduced US tariffs on Indian goods to an alleged commitment by India to end Russian oil imports.

Russia stresses importance of ties with India

Peskov said Russia respects bilateral relations between India and the United States but underlined the strategic importance of ties between Moscow and New Delhi.

“We respect bilateral US-Indian relations,” he said, adding that Russia places equal importance on its strategic partnership with India.
“This is the most important thing for us, and we intend to further develop our bilateral relations with Delhi.”

What Trump claimed

Trump announced the India-US trade deal on Monday, stating that tariffs on Indian goods had been reduced from 50 per cent to 18 per cent. He claimed the reduction was linked to India agreeing to stop purchasing Russian oil.

According to Trump, India would instead buy more oil from the United States and potentially from Venezuela. He also suggested that the move would help bring an end to the war in Ukraine.

“He agreed to stop buying Russian oil and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela,” Trump said, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India’s reliance on Russian crude

India has emerged as one of the largest buyers of Russian crude since the start of the Ukraine conflict. It currently imports around 1.5 million barrels of Russian oil per day, accounting for more than one-third of its total oil imports, according to global trade data.

India is the second-largest purchaser of Russian crude globally. Even after earlier US tariff measures on Indian goods, New Delhi continued its Russian oil imports, citing energy security concerns.

The Indian government has consistently maintained that securing affordable energy supplies is critical, given the country’s heavy dependence on oil imports.

Shift in energy ties after Ukraine war

Historically, India’s relationship with Russia was centred more on defence cooperation than energy trade, with Russia supplying a majority of India’s military equipment while contributing only a small share of its oil imports.

After the invasion of Ukraine, India significantly increased purchases of discounted Russian oil. The move helped India boost energy supplies while providing Russia with much-needed revenue amid Western sanctions.

As recently as December 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a visit to New Delhi that Moscow was ready to ensure uninterrupted fuel supplies to India despite pressure from the United States.

Earlier US push for Indian energy imports

Trump had earlier said, following a meeting with Prime Minister Modi in February last year, that India would begin buying more American oil and natural gas. However, those discussions did not lead to a major shift in India’s energy sourcing.

Subsequent US tariff measures also failed to significantly alter India’s stance on Russian oil imports.