Kidnappers of actor Mushtaq Khan also planned to abduct Shakti Kapoor, say UP cops
Bijnor/Meerut (UP) (PTI): Four members of a gang have been arrested for kidnapping actor Mushtaq Mohammad Khan from the Delhi airport, holding him hostage in Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh and demanding ransom, officials said.
According to police, the miscreants were also plotting to abduct veteran actor Shakti Kapoor on the pretext of inviting him to an event.
Bijnor Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Jha shared the details on Saturday, saying that Mushtaq Khan's event manager, Shivam Yadav, had filed a complaint on December 9.
According to the complaint, Lavi alias Rahul Saini had on October 15 sent an advance payment of Rs 25,000 and an air ticket to invite Khan to an event in Meerut. Upon arriving at the Delhi airport on November 20, Mushtaq was received by a cab driver who took him to a famous 'shikanji' shop between Meerut and Delhi.
There, Khan was forced into another vehicle, where more individuals joined him. The actor was then threatened and informed that he had been kidnapped and was being held captive at the home of Lavi, a criminal involved in the case, police said.
"During his captivity, the kidnappers took Mushtaq Khan's bank account details and password. On the night of November 20, the accused consumed alcohol and slept. The following morning, Mushtaq Khan managed to escape and reached a mosque in Mohalla Chahshiri, where locals contacted his family and helped him return home.
"On November 21, the kidnappers withdrew Rs 2.2 lakh from Mushtaq Khan's bank account while shopping in Meerut and Muzaffarnagar," the officer said.
The arrested gang members have been identified as Sarthak Chaudhary, Sabiuddin, Azim, and Shashank. Police have also recovered Rs 1.04 lakh from their possession.
Police revealed that the gang was involved in abducting film stars by sending advance payments and air tickets under the guise of event invitations.
The investigation has also revealed that actor Shakti Kapoor was offered Rs 5 lakh to attend a similar event, but the deal fell through due to a high advance request.
Police are now investigating whether the gang was involved in the kidnapping of other film stars.
Efforts are on to track down the remaining members of the gang, including Lavi.
Meanwhile, in a related development, Arjun, one of the kidnappers involved in comedian Sunil Pal's abduction, was shot and injured during an encounter with police in Meerut on Sunday.
Arjun, who was arrested on Saturday, attempted to escape while being escorted for a medical checkup at Lalkurti police station by snatching the pistol of a sub-inspector, the Meerut police said.
Arjun, while trying to flee, opened fire indiscriminately at the police team. The police team retaliated, and Arjun was shot and injured in the exchange of fire.
Meerut Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vipin Tada said that police had recovered from Arjun an SUV, a Scorpio, used in Sunil Pal's kidnapping last month, along with Rs 2.25 lakh cash and a mobile phone used in the crime.
"Arjun was immediately taken to the hospital in an injured condition. Police are now searching for his associates, as they believe the gang involved in the kidnapping is based in Bijnor. Authorities have also contacted the victim for further statements and are continuing their investigation into the case," the SSP said.
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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.
