Situation tense but under control after stone pelting on Om Shakti devotees: Police
Bengaluru (PTI): The situation in Jagjeevan Ram Nagar in the city was tense but under control following the stone pelting by miscreants on the procession of Om Shakti devotees, police said on Monday.
Two women were injured in the attack on the procession on Sunday night. After the incident, residents staged a demonstration at the JJ Nagar police station, demanding action against the culprits.
An additional police force has been deployed at JJ Nagar, fearing retaliatory action by the aggrieved people on Monday.
Senior police officers have camped in the locality and have started an investigation to trace the culprits involved in the crime.
Based on a complaint by Shashikumar N, a resident of VS Garden, police registered a First Information Report on late Sunday night.
According to Shashikumar, the incident occurred between 8.15 pm and 9.00 pm, when devotees were taking out a procession in the area.
The complainant stated that he has been participating in Om Shakti and Ayyappa Swamy worship for the past 23 years, wearing the Om Shakti garland and carrying the Irumudi as part of the ritual.
The complainant alleged that three to four youths pelted stones at the procession, during which a female devotee sustained a serious head injury and suffered bleeding wounds. She was subsequently admitted to a local hospital for treatment.
The complaint further claimed that in the past, similar incidents, including arson, had taken place during religious observances in the area.
It was also alleged that the locality has a significant Dalit population and that instances of atrocities against Dalits have occurred.
Stating that the incident amounted to an attack on religious sentiments and an act of intimidation, Om Shakti devotees and Ayyappa Swamy devotees jointly sought strict legal action against those responsible.
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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.
