Muslim rickshaw puller assaulted in Agartala after Bangladesh minority violence reference
Agartala: A Muslim rickshaw puller was brutally assaulted and nearly killed by a group of unidentified men in Agartala on January 1 evening. The incident took place near the Gangail Nivedita Club area at around 6.30 pm.
The injured man has been identified as Didar Hossain, a resident of Abhaynagar, who earns his livelihood as a rickshaw puller. According to his statement to the police, Hossain was intercepted by four to five unknown persons alleged to be Hindutva activists, assaulted, pushed into a pile of sand, and an attempt was made to set him on fire.
Hossain survived after the assailants fled the spot on hearing his screams for help.
The victim later lodged a written complaint at the Durga Chowmuhani Outpost, describing the sequence of events. In the complaint, he stated that he suffered serious physical injuries and severe psychological trauma due to the attack and is currently undergoing medical treatment.
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“Later, they forcibly pushed me into a pile of sand and tried to kill me by setting me on fire with the clear intention of killing me,” the FIR stated.
A local resident, Habib Ur Rahman, said that the attackers allegedly questioned Hossain about his identity before assaulting him. He added that the assailants raised questions related to violence against minorities in Bangladesh.
“Hossain reportedly asked the attackers what his crime was. In response, they referred to attacks on minorities across the border,” Rahman said.
Police have registered a case against unidentified persons under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Section 109 for attempt to murder, Section 115(2) for causing grievous hurt, and Section 326 related to arson or attempt to cause death by fire.
The incident led to protests in Agartala, with people taking out a march demanding the immediate arrest of the accused and strict action.
Indian National Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman and TIPRA Motha leader Shah Alam were among those who joined the demonstration.
Shah Alam alleged that the police response had been inadequate. “Except for registering a complaint, the police have not done anything substantial so far. This is also the case in other incidents related to minorities,” he said.
Police officials have not issued a detailed response on the progress of the investigation so far.
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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.
