Dharmasthala case: Vakalatnama filed on behalf of Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala at Belthangady court
Belthangady: In connection with the Dharmasthala case that has attracted nationwide attention, a vakalatnama has been filed on behalf of Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala before the Belthangady court.
Senior advocate C. V. Nagesh from Bengaluru and advocate Mahesh Kaje from Puttur have filed the vakalatnama in relation to Case No. 39/2025 registered at the Dharmasthala Police Station. On December 31, the advocates appeared before the Belthangady court and presented arguments on behalf of Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala. After hearing the submissions, the court adjourned the matter to January 3.
An SIT is currently investigating the case and has submitted a report to the Belthangady court. In its report, the SIT has alleged that a conspiracy was hatched against Dharmasthala and has named six individuals in this regard. However, no action has so far been taken against the accused. The SIT’s application seeking permission to proceed against them is still pending before the court.
This marks the first time that Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala has directly joined the proceedings and presented arguments in the case.
Speaking to the media after the hearing, advocate Mahesh Kaje stated that the vakalatnama was filed on behalf of Dharmasthala in the capacity of a victim. He said the temple has been repeatedly referred to in the case and, as an affected party, should be given an opportunity to participate directly in the proceedings. Accordingly, an application has been filed seeking permission to present arguments on behalf of Dharmasthala.
The court has fixed January 3 as the next date of hearing. Supporting documents have been submitted, and no objections have been raised so far. It was also stated that allegations had earlier been made against Dharmasthala in a public interest litigation filed before the Supreme Court, in which the institution was explicitly named.
In light of this, Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala has sought permission to participate in the case as a victim and present its submissions. Further legal steps will be taken based on the court’s subsequent orders.
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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.
