Actor Darshan, MP Jaggesh under scanner after complaints of possession of wildlife articles
Bengaluru (PTI): A team of senior officials from Karnataka Forest Department would be visiting various places to probe if celebrities and others against whom complaints have been received are in possession of Wildlife articles, officials said on Wednesday.
Action will be initiated against them under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 if they are found in possession of such articles, they said.
Karnataka Environment and Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said the law of the land is applicable to all without any discrimination and the government will act as per the law.
The Forest Department's move comes days after contestant of Bigg Boss Kannada reality show Varthur Santosh was arrested from the set on Sunday for allegedly wearing a tiger claw pendant. He was later sent to 14 days judicial custody.
Following his arrest, social media was flooded with photos of Kannada film actor Darshan, actor-turned-politician and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Jaggesh, and JDS leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy purportedly wearing such pendants. This prompted several organisations to officially write to the forest department seeking action against them.
Actor-politician and former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil Kumaraswamy clarified that the tiger claw pendant that he was seen wearing was fake.
“It has been reported in some media that Nikhil Kumaraswamy wore a Tiger claw pendant during his marriage. This is far from the truth. I am certainly aware of the seriousness of the Wildlife Protection Act. The Tiger claw pendant I was wearing was fake, not real. It was given as a gift for my marriage. I still have it. Concerned authorities can verify. Please request no one to spread news which is
Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Kumar Pushkar said the department has received formal complaint against Darshan, leading producer Rockline Venkatesh, actor-turned-politician and Jaggesh, Venkateshwara Swamy in Kunigal and Vinay Guruji in Chikkamagaluru among others.
“We are verifying all these cases which have come to our notice through the media and several organisations which were received by us this morning. So, we are verifying each and every one of them and we will take action as per the Wildlife Protection Act wherever we find that the person actually possesses such wildlife articles,” he told PTI.
Asked if they would be questioned, the officer said, “We are taking all kinds of action. Our senior officers are heading the team. They would be visiting all these places and verifying the facts.”
Meanwhile, the Forest Minister noted that under the Wildlife Protection Act which came into effect in 1972, no animal parts should be traded -- be it tiger tooth, its pelt, claws, deer skin, horns, or the elephant tusks. There is no scope for using, storing, or transporting these wildlife materials anywhere.
“If at all anyone has done it, then it is a punishable crime. For this reason, the department will investigate the complaints about some people sporting the tiger claws, teeth or pelts and start legal proceedings against them.
“Law of the land is equal to everyone. No one is above law. Government will initiate action as per the law. I do not have the complete information. Whoever gives complaints will be looked into,” Kharndre told reporters in the district headquarters town of Kalaburagi.
Citing the Wildlife Protection Act-1972, the Minister said that no one is supposed to use these wildlife animal products.
“Today the case has come to light about the use of these materials by some individuals. Everyone should be aware of these laws and it is our primary responsibility to protect the ecology and wildlife,” he said.
Declining to name the individuals, the minister said the law of the land is applicable to all without any discrimination. He stressed that no one is above law.
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.
