Nightclub fire: Thai authorities initiating process to send back Luthra brothers to India
Panaji/ New Delhi (PTI): Authorities in Thailand are initiating the process to deport Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra, co-owners of the nightclub in Goa where 25 people were killed in a fire on December 6, government sources said on Friday.
As the state police are probing the tragedy, a local resident who claims to be the original owner of the land where `Birch by Romeo Lane' nightclub stood claimed that the zoning of the saltpan land was "quietly" changed for the club's benefit.
AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, meanwhile, lashed out at the BJP government over "corruption" in the coastal state, and said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should apologise to the people over the fire incident.
The Indian embassy in Bangkok is in close touch with the Thai authorities to expedite the deportation of the Luthras, official sources in Delhi said.
The brothers have been detained by Thai authorities in Phuket following an intervention by the embassy, they said.
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"The Thai authorities are presently taking action as per local laws, including for sending the two individuals back to India," said one of the sources.
The Luthras left for Phuket shortly after the fire incident.
A Delhi court on Wednesday refused to give any interim protection from arrest to the duo, while their partner was held.
Five managers and staff members have already been arrested by Goa Police in connection with the fire that broke out at the nightclub located in Arpora, 25 km from Panaji, around midnight on December 6.
Police have recorded the statements of at least 50 persons in the case so far, said an official.
Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar, who claims to be the original owner of the land where the club stood, alleged that a portion of his property was converted from saltpan to settlement zone without his knowledge.
He had signed a sale agreement with Surinder Kumar Khosla in 2004, but it was withdrawn within six months as he allegedly did not receive the payment. Kholsa set up a nightclub on the land, and it was later taken over by Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra, Amonkar had alleged earlier.
While the case filed by him has been pending in the court for 21 years, on Thursday he discovered that "the government quietly changed the zoning of my land without informing me,” Amonkar said.
No notice was served to him concerning the zone change, he claimed, asking how salt pan can be converted into a settlement zone.
A senior Goa Town and Country Planning official said as an inquiry into this matter is underway, it would not be appropriate for them to comment.
Speaking at a public meeting in Goa, Kejriwal, campaigning for local body elections, said, "This is perhaps the most corrupt government, and the least the chief minister could do is to apologise to the people of Goa for Arpora incident and ensure safety in all the establishments."
The nightclub did not have several requisite permissions, still it could operate because it paid "hafta" or regular bribes to government officials, he alleged.
Meanwhile, the state BJP has sought clarification from two of its leaders for alleging corruption against the backdrop of the fire tragedy.
MLA Michael Lobo and former tourism minister Dilip Parulekar had alleged large-scale corruption in the beach belt, claiming that it had resulted in illegalities in the tourism sector.
“I have heard the statement by both the leaders. I have sought clarification from them for making such statements,” BJP Goa president Damodar Naik told reporters in Panaji on Friday.
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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.
