Kohli, Konstas involved in mid-pitch altercation, debutant brushes off incident
Melbourne (PTI): Star Indian batter Virat Kohli and Australian youngster Sam Konstas were on Thursday involved in a physical altercation as tempers flared on the first day of the fourth Test here but the 19-year-old home debutant played down the incident.
The brief showdown took place after the completion of the 10th over of the Australian innings when the players were crossing over. Kohli and Konstas bumped shoulders while moving across the pitch. Both players quickly turned around to glance at each other and engage in a heated exchange of words with Konstas' teammate Usman Khawaja stepping in to separate them. The on-field umpires also had a word with the two.
"I think the emotions got to both of us," Konstas later told 'Channel 7'. "I didn't quite realise, I was doing my gloves, then a little shoulder charge, but it happens in cricket," he added.
Konstas, who was batting on 27 at the time, went on to hit Jasprit Bumrah for two boundaries and a six in the next over. The teenager scored a stunning fifty on debut before Ravindra Jadeja trapped him leg before wicket. Oz media says Kohli could face disciplinary action
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Konstas might have dismissed it as routine but former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting blamed Kohli for instigating the exchange. He went to the extent of saying that Kohli could face disciplinary action for it.
"Have a look where Virat walks. Virat's walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that confrontation. No doubt in my mind whatsoever," Ponting said on Channel 7 while watching the replay of the incident.
"I have no doubt that the umpires and the referee will have a good look at that. Fielders should be nowhere near the batsman at that stage. It looked to me that Konstas looked up really late, wouldn't even know anyone is in front of him. That man on-screen there (Kohli) might have a few questions to answer," Ponting added.
Match referee Andy Pycroft is certain to review the incident, according to a report in 'cricket.com.au'. The ICC's Code of Conduct states that "any form of inappropriate physical contact is prohibited in cricket. Without limitation, players will breach this regulation if they deliberately, recklessly and/or negligently walk or run into or shoulder another player or umpire".
A Level 1 offence would likely mean a match fee fine. However, Level 2 offences carry a penalty of three to four demerit points. Four demerit points would lead to a suspension of one Test.
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Delhi court sentences Haryana gangster Vikas Gulia, associate to life imprisonment
New Delhi (PTI): A Delhi court has sentenced Haryana gangster Vikas Gulia and his associate to life imprisonment under MCOCA provisions, but refused the death penalty saying the offences did not fall under the category of 'rarest of the rare cases'.
Additional Sessions Judge Vandana Jain sentenced Gulia and Dhirpal alias Kana to rigorous imprisonment for life under Section 3 (punishment for organised crime) of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
In an order dated December 13, the judge said, "Death sentence can only be awarded in 'rarest of the rare cases' wherein the murder is committed in an extremely inhumane, barbarous, grotesque or dastardly manner as to arouse umbrage of the community at large."
The judge said that on weighing the aggravating and mitigating circumstances, it could be concluded that the present case did not fall under the category, and so, the death penalty could not be imposed upon the convicts.
"Thus, both the convicts are sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for life and to pay a fine of Rs 3 lakh each, for committing the offence under Section 3 of MCOCA," she said.
The public prosecutor, seeking the death penalty for both the accused, submitted that they were involved in several unlawful activities while they were on bail in other cases.
He argued that the accused had shown no respect for the law and acted without any fear of legal consequences, and therefore did not deserve any leniency from the court.
The court noted that both convicts were involved in offences of murder, attempt to murder, extortion, robbery, house trespass, and criminal intimidation. Besides, they had misused the liberty of interim bail granted to them by absconding.
It said, "The terror of the convicts was such that it created fear psychosis in the mind of the general public, and they lost complete faith in the law enforcement agencies and chose to accede to the illegal demands of convicts. Despite suffering losses, they could not gather the courage to depose against them."
The court noted that Gulia was involved in at least 18 criminal cases, while Dhirpal had links to 10 serious offences.
It underlined that MCOCA had been enacted "keeping in view the fact that organised crime had come up as a serious threat to society, as it knew no territorial boundaries and is fuelled by illegal wealth generated by committing the offence of extortion, contract killings, kidnapping for ransom, collection of protection money, murder, etc."
Both accused persons had been convicted on December 10 in a case registered at Najafgarh police station. The police filed a chargesheet under Section 3 (punishment for organised crime) and 4 (punishment for possessing unaccountable wealth on behalf of member of organised crime syndicate) of MCOCA.
