Indian student stabbed in US continues on life support; suffered severe neurological impairment
Washington (PTI): P Varun Raj, the 24-year-old Indian student who was stabbed at a fitness centre in the US state of Indiana over the weekend, continues to be in a critical condition and is on life support, sources familiar with his ongoing treatment said.
Varun, a Computer Science student, was stabbed with a knife into the temple by the assailant Jordan Andrade, 24, at the public gym on Sunday morning for reasons that the authorities are still investigating.
"After three days of treatment, Varun continues to be on life support and has severe neurological impairment. He is likely to sustain permanent disability and have partial, if not complete, vision loss and left-sided weakness," sources told PTI.
Following the incident, the attacker was arrested and is facing charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and attempted murder.
Varun has now been transferred to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne because of the serious nature of the injuries.
Meanwhile, assailant Andrade, who appeared before Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer, pleaded not guilty to the charges of a Level 1 and Level 3 felony.
The judge set his bond at USD 500,000 cash and USD 500,000 surety.
According to The Chicago Tribune newspaper, Andrade said he could afford a USD 300,000 bond. The judge deemed Andrade a flight risk.
The Valparaiso University president expressed his shock over the brutal attack on one of its students.
"We are shocked and saddened by the attack on Varun Raj. At Valparaiso University, we consider each other family, and this incident is horrifying for us all. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of his friends and family," Jose Padilla, the university's president, said in a statement provided to the Post-Tribune on Wednesday.
"In addition to our thoughts and prayers, the University and Valpo Community are offering all assistance and resources available to help Varun's family get to the United States as quickly as possible," Michael Fenton said in an email to Chicago Tribune, adding that the university also is providing full support to the ongoing investigation by the Valparaiso Police Department.
The North American Telugu Society (NATS) has started a fundraiser on GoFund and by Wednesday night raised over USD 38,000.
"Currently, he is in critical condition, battling for his life in a coma, and his family is facing a harrowing journey filled with uncertainty and overwhelming medical bills. We were contacted by the family with a heavy heart, asking for our support to cover his extensive medical expenses and travel expenses for his parents to the USA," NATS said.
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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.
