Sandeshkhali mob attack on police injures six; nine held
Kolkata (PTI): Six policemen were injured and a police vehicle vandalised in a mob attack during an attempt to arrest a TMC worker in Sandeshkhali, once again pushing the coastal block into political focus ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
The incident occurred on Friday night when a team from Nazat police station went to Boyermari village in Sandeshkhali to arrest local TMC activist Musa Mollah in connection with alleged illegal occupation of land and water bodies for pisciculture, police said.
As officers tried to pick up Mollah from his residence and place him inside the police vehicle, a group of villagers, described by police as his supporters, allegedly blocked the car, threw stones and vandalised it.
Six policemen, including an officer, were injured and later treated at a local hospital before being discharged.
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Taking advantage of the chaos, Mollah managed to escape, police said, revising earlier information that he had been arrested.
"We have arrested nine people so far, but Musa Mollah is still absconding. Efforts are on to nab him," a senior police officer told PTI.
Earlier it was reported that Mollah was nabbed by the police.
Police sources said Mollah had been served repeated notices in a land dispute case, which he allegedly ignored.
Following complaints that agricultural land was being filled with saline water, a Basirhat sub-divisional court had imposed prohibitory orders on the disputed property.
Reinforcements were rushed to the area after the police team came under attack.
Besides arresting nine people, the police detained two local TMC leaders, including the gram panchayat pradhan and upa-pradhan of Boyermari Gram Panchayat 2, for allegedly instigating the violence, officials said.
Raids were carried out in nearby houses and CCTV footage was being examined to identify other accused, police said, adding that the situation was under control with additional forces deployed as a precaution.
The incident triggered sharp political reactions. BJP leader Sajal Ghosh said the attack reflected the "desperation and brazenness" of ruling party activists under Mamata Banerjee's government.
"From attacks on central agencies earlier to attacks on state police now, the pattern remains the same," he said.
The ruling TMC sought to distance itself from the violence. Party spokesperson Arup Chakraborty condemned the attack as "deplorable" and said the party did not support such acts.
"The police are performing their duty, and whatever action they take will have our support," he said, accusing the opposition of politicising the incident.
The clash revived memories of January 2024, when an Enforcement Directorate team was attacked in Sandeshkhali during a raid on the residence of suspended TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan in connection with the alleged ration distribution scam.
Several ED officials were injured, forcing the team to retreat.
Shahjahan who was later arrested by the CBI is currently in judicial custody, with multiple cases pending against him.
Sandeshkhali had dominated West Bengal's political narrative during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as a symbol of alleged strongarm tactics and administrative breakdown.
With Assembly polls due in 2026, Friday's attack has once again turned the region into a law-and-order and political flashpoint, sharpening the ruling-opposition battle in the run-up to the high-stakes contest.
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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.
