K’taka HC grants conditional bail to Puneeth Kerehalli, four others in Idrees Pasha Murder case
Bengaluru: In a recent update, the Karnataka High Court has granted conditional bail to Puneeth Kerehalli and four other individuals involved in the murder case of Idrees Pasha, a cattle transporter. The accused, who had been evading arrest, were apprehended in Rajasthan on April 5. The bail order was issued by Justice MG Uma, who presided over a vacation bench and considered three separate petitions submitted by the defendants.
Puneeth Kerehalli and his co-accused were charged by the Ramanagara police for their alleged participation in the murder of Idrees Pasha. The charges against them include Sections 302 (Murder), 341 (Wrongful Restraint), and 504 (Intentional Insult with Intent to Provoke Breach of the Peace) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), based on a complaint lodged by Pasha's family members.
The tragic incident occurred when Idrees Pasha and his two associates were intercepted by cow vigilantes in Sathanur village, of Ramanagara district. Idrees Pasha lost his life during the incident, purportedly at the hands of Hindutva extremists. Furthermore, one of his companions suffered physical assault.
During the court proceedings, Advocate Arun Shyam, representing the petitioner, highlighted that the post-mortem examination of Idrees Pasha's body revealed only minor scratches, with no significant injuries reported. The advocate argued that crucial information regarding the location of the deceased's body, approximately 100 meters away from the Sathanur police station, should have been communicated to the police at an earlier stage.
Compelling videos shared on social media allegedly show Puneeth Kerehalli engaging in "cow vigilante" activities, employing a stun gun to inflict pain. Burn marks were also discovered on Idrees Pasha's body. Puneeth Kerehalli has been photographed alongside prominent leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka. The First Information Report (FIR) indicates that Pasha possessed valid documentation confirming the legality of the cattle he was transporting from the local market. Nevertheless, Puneeth and his associates allegedly continued to intimidate him, demanding a ransom of Rs 2 lakh for his release, while issuing threats to his life if the demanded amount was not paid.
The conditional bail granted by the Karnataka High Court to Puneeth Kerehalli and the four co-accused marks a significant development in the ongoing case. The court proceedings will persist, and further investigations will be conducted to ascertain all relevant details and gather additional evidence. The outcome of this case will be closely monitored, as it holds implications for justice and the efforts to address vigilantism in the state.
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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.
