BKU leader, a witness in Lakhimpur Kheri case, claims he was shot at by bike-borne men
Lakhimpur Kheri (UP), Jun 1: BKU leader Dilbag Singh, a witness in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, was allegedly shot at by two unidentified assailants here, police said on Wednesday.
Singh, however, did not sustain any injuries in the attack that took place on Tuesday night.
The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait) district president claimed he was returning home via the Aliganj-Muda road in the Gola Kotwali area in his SUV when the bike-borne assailants opened fire at him.
Singh is one of the witnesses in Tikunia violence of October 3, 2021, in which eight people, including four farmers and a journalist, died. Union minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra was arrested in connection with the incident.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav attacked the state government over the incident and asked if this was the state government's zero tolerance towards crime and criminals.
Talking to PTI over phone, Singh said the assailants punctured a tyre of his SUV, forcing him to stop his vehicle.
"The assailants attempted to open the doors and windows of the SUV. After they failed, they fired two shots at the windowpane on the driver's side," he alleged, adding that he was travelling alone.
Sensing the intentions of the assailants, Singh said, he folded his seat and ducked.
He said the assailants could not figure out whether he was shot or not as the windows of his SUV were covered with dark film.
Singh said he had sent his official gunman (provided to him by the district administration) on leave owing to his son's sudden sickness.
He said he lodged a complaint at Gola Kotwali police station soon after the attack and also informed BKU-Tikait spokesperson Rakesh Tikait about it.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Arun Kumar Singh told PTI that on Singh's complaint, an FIR has been registered under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Forensic teams had been sent to the spot to examine the vehicle and the crime scene and collect evidence, he said, adding that efforts are on to identify the attackers.
The ASP said the BKU leader sent his gunman on leave without intimating the senior police authorities.
"If the matter of his gunman proceeding on leave had been communicated to us, we would have provided him with another gunman as an alternative arrangement," the officer said.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav questioned the state government over the incident.
"The shameful example of the anti-farmer attitude of the chief minister has just been seen in Lakhimpur Kheri where two bike riders opened fire on the vehicle of Dilbag Singh, district president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait Group)," Yadav said in a statement.
"Dilbag Singh is also a witness to the Tikunia incident that took place on October 3, 2021, when the farmers were crushed by a jeep by the son of a Union minister of state. He (Dilbagh Singh) had a narrow escape. The attackers wanted to kill him. Is this the BJP government's zero-tolerance (towards crime)?"
In UP's Lakhimpur Kheri, narrow escape for BKU district president Dilbagh Singh after unidentified gunmen opened fire when he was returning home on Tuesday night. Singh is also a witness in the Tikunia case of murder of 5 people who were mowed down by a convoy. pic.twitter.com/yI6KeUaDvU
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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.
