Bidar (Karnataka), Dec 26: A 26-year-old contractor allegedly died by suicide by lying in front of a train in Bidar on Thursday, police said.

Sachin Panchal, a native of Tungadakatti in Bhalki Taluk of Bidar, had taken a contract in the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department.

In a suicide note, he alleged that former councillor Raju Kapanur and seven others were responsible for his death.

Kapanur is reportedly a close aide of Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge.

Reacting to the incident, Kharge said, "I have just learned about it through the media. I am personally demanding an inquiry. We will ensure that the truth comes out. Whether my supporters or anyone else is involved, as this is the concerned department, nothing will be hidden." He said, "Wrong is wrong. No matter who it is. I will have it investigated by my department, and if necessary, I will request the Home Minister to look into it." When asked whether his close associate was involved, he stated that he did not have complete information.

"Whether it is my close associate or a Congress supporter, the law is equal for all, and the Constitution is equal for all. Whatever the case, we will take action," he added.

Later, the minister’s office shared a video statement from Kapanur in their WhatsApp group.

Kapanur stated that Panchal had approached him, claiming he had completed his BTech and was looking to secure contracts. He added that Panchal said he had a licence and was capable of taking up work.

"I told him that since we did not have the licence, we couldn’t apply for tenders. He assured me he would handle it. The first tender was related to the airport. We deposited Rs 65 lakh into his account and Rs 15 lakh in cash," Kapanur said.

"Panchal continued to mislead us for six months, saying he would apply for the tender. When we inquired in Bengaluru, we discovered that everything was fake," he added.

Kapanur mentioned that he had lodged a police complaint against Panchal.

The BJP has demanded the resignation of Priyank Kharge.

In a post on 'X', BJP state president B Y Vijayendra said, "It seems that some ministers in the Congress government have given General Power of Attorney (GPA) to their right-hand men and close aides." Recalling incidents where people died by suicide due to torture by the close aides of ministers, Vijayendra alleged, "The Congress government is making unfortunate families orphans." Claiming that Kharge was responsible for the death, the BJP leader stated, "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should immediately ask Kharge to resign."

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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.