Kannada TV actor arrested over allegations of sexual harassment, assault
Bengaluru, Dec 27: Television actor Charith Balappa has been arrested on charges of sexual harassment, assault, and criminal intimidation following a complaint filed by an actress, police said on Friday.
The alleged incident occurred between November 1, 2023, and December 13, 2024, they said.
Balappa, who has also appeared in Telugu serials, is known for his role in the Kannada serial 'Muddulakshmi'.
In her complaint, the 29-year-old woman, who works in both Telugu and Kannada serials, stated that she got to know him in 2017 since he was also an actor.
Accusing him of exploiting her good nature, she alleged that he pressured her to love him and coerced her into having a physical relationship, threatening to defame her if she refused.
The actress further alleged that knowing she lived alone, he once barged into her house with his associates, creating a ruckus and harassing her.
According to the FIR, the actor also demanded money from her and threatened to post private photos of them together on social media platforms and share them in a WhatsApp group, which also included other actors.
He allegedly claimed that, with his money and connections to politicians, rowdy elements, and police officers, he would file false cases against her and have her imprisoned, the FIR stated.
The woman also accused the actor, a divorcee, of mentally torturing and assaulting her. He further threatened to kill her, the FIR stated.
Based on the complaint, a case was registered at Rajarajeshwari Nagar police station under sections for voluntarily causing hurt, extortion, criminal intimidation, intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace, sexual harassment, and other sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The accused actor was arrested, and further investigation is underway, they added.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
