CJI Surya Kant lays foundation stone for 7 infrastructure projects on Patna HC premises
Patna (PTI): Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday laid the foundation stone for seven infrastructure projects on the Patna High Court premises.
The seven projects include an ADR building and auditorium, an IT building, an administrative building, a multi-level car parking, a hospital, a residential block for ministerial staffers of the Patna High Court, and an annexe building of the office of advocate general.
"The laying of foundation stones for the administrative block, the IT block and other facilities of the Patna High Court is very crucial. I believe this occasion assumes a deeper resonance in Bihar, which is a land that occupies a distinctive place in India's civilisational memory," Justice Kant said in his address.
He stressed that courts need to be equipped with the support that allows "judicial authority to be exercised meaningfully".
The CJI is on a two-day visit to Bihar. He arrived in Patna on Friday.
The CJI emphasised on "capacity building" which can lay the groundwork for a justice system that can "meet the demands of a growing population, increasing litigation and disputes of rising complexity".
"The first dimension of this effort is institutional capacity. A modern administrative block functions much like the nervous system of the court," he added.
Justice Kant asserted that the IT building will mark an important transition from courts that are "paper-heavy and time-intensive" to the ones that "are data-informed, digitally enabled and user-centric."
He said the ADR building and auditorium will serve as a "place of learning and exchange" by hosting, among other things, ADR initiatives and conversations that will "strengthen the relationship between Bar and the Bench."
Justice Kant also highlighted the importance of a hospital facility within the court premises because "justice is delivered by human beings and not machines".
VIDEO | Bihar: Chief Justice Surya Kant lays foundation stone of multi-building complex at Patna High Court.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 3, 2026
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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.
