Natural disaster blamed for landslide deaths as J-K court quashes plea against Vaishno Devi board
Jammu (PTI): A court in Jammu and Kashmir's Katra has dismissed a plea seeking registration of an FIR against Vaishno Devi shrine board officials for the death of 35 pilgrims in a landslide on the tracks to the shrine on August 26, holding that a natural disaster caused it.
It, however, said the ruling will not have any bearing on the inquiry ordered into the tragedy by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha three days after the incident.
The plea alleged that despite weather advisories issued by the meteorological centre in Srinagar and the J-K Disaster Management Authority, the pilgrimage was not suspended, which amounted to criminal negligence by the CEO and other officials of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.
Sub-Judge (Judicial Magistrate, First Class) Katra Sidhant Vaid dismissed the plea, which sought directions to the police to register an FIR under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 106 (causing death by rash or negligent acts) of the BNS.
“From the perusal of the allegations levelled in the complaint, statements recorded by the police and the police report, it is very much clear that the proximate and immediate cause of the unfortunate incident was a natural disaster.
“Even if what has been pleaded in the complaint is presumed to be true, then also non-compliance of the advisories issued by the meteorological department could be a lapse on the administrative side and no element of criminal negligence is present,” the judge said.
“In my considered opinion, the case of criminal negligence is not made out, and no cognisable offence is prima facie made out,” he said.
Referring to police reports and witness statements, the court said the pilgrimage was halted from time to time whenever required in the interest of public safety and standard operating procedures were followed.
Witnesses said it rained for two to three days prior to the August 26 incident, and the Yatra had been intermittently stopped on August 24 and 25 due to the heavy downpour.
The court held that for criminal liability under Section 106 of the BNS, there must be proof of a grossly negligent or rash act, foreseeability of harm and a direct causal link between the act or omission and the death. “Mere error of judgment or an administrative lapse does not suffice for criminal liability,” it said.
The court ruled out the offence of culpable homicide, noting that intention and negligence represent different states of mind and the complaint itself alleged negligence rather than intent.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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
===================
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.
