24 years after conviction in Rs 350 graft case, Bombay HC acquits ex-cop sentenced to 1 year in jail
Mumbai(PTI): Twenty-four years after being convicted and sentenced to a year in jail in a bribery case, a former policeman was acquitted by the Bombay High Court, which observed that the prosecution had failed to prove the factum of acceptance of Rs 350 bribe money.
The Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had booked Damu Avhad, who was a sub-inspector at the time, under the Prevention of Corruption Act in 1988 for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 350.
In August 1998, a special court in Nashik convicted Avhad and sentenced him to a year in jail. The accused policeman had then filed an appeal in the high court the same year.
A single bench of Justice V G Bisht on Thursday passed an order noting that the mere recovery of tainted money is not sufficient to convict the accused and that the prosecution has not proved the case against Avhad.
The copy of the order was made available on Friday. The court acquitted Avhad, who was posted as a sub-inspector at Yeola taluka police station in Nashik district at the time.
According to the prosecution, in March 1988 Avhad had demanded Rs 350 from a man for granting bail to his brother. The person then approached the ACB and lodged a complaint, following which the ACB laid a trap and after the complainant paid the bribe amount, it arrested Avhad and recovered the Rs 350 bribe amount from him.
The court, while acquitting Avhad, said, Mere receipt of amount by the accused is not sufficient to fasten the guilt in absence of any evidence with regard to demand and acceptance of the amount as illegal gratification.
The bench further observed that the complainant was asked to pay the money in order to release his brother on bail and that the person drew inferences that Avhad was seeking illegal gratification.
Justice Bisht noted that there was no evidence to prove that Avhad had made any specific demand of illegal gratification from the complainant.
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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.
