Nagaland firing: Army's CoI team inspects incident site amid boycott by locals
Kohima(PTI): The Army's Court of Inquiry (CoI), probing the killing of 14 civilians in Nagaland's Mon district early December in firing by security forces, Wednesday inspected the Ground Zero' in Tiru-Oting area but the locals refused to cooperate with the team.
Representatives of the Mon district's civil and police administration accompanied the team. At least three security forces personnel involved in the December 4 firing incidents were also present at the spot.
Six coal miners returning from work were killed in a botched ambush by the security forces, while seven others were gunned down when angry villagers scuffled with them after discovering the bullet-riddled bodies of the labourers on an Army truck.
Sources said the families of those killed or members of the village council did not meet the CoI members following a decision by the Konyak Union, the apex body of tribals in Mon district, to not extend any cooperation to the Army.
Konyak Union president Howing Konyak reiterated the non-cooperation with the Army will continue till justice is done. He said members of the civil societies in the district will also not interact with the CoI team.
Meanwhile, Public Relations Officer (Defence), Kohima, Lt Col Sumit K Sharma in a press release Wednesday evening said the Court of Inquiry constituted by the Indian Army to investigate the Mon incident visited the site at Oting village.
The inquiry team, headed by a senior rank officer, a Major General, inspected the site to understand the circumstances in which the incident could have happened, he said, and added the team also took along the witnesses for better understanding of the situation and to ascertain how events would have unfolded.
The team also visited Tizit Police Station to meet the cross section of the society including civilians, police personnel and doctors who treated the injured for obtaining valuable information, he said.
Earlier, the Army had requested, through public notices, people having information about the incident to directly share it either by being present before the inquiry team at Tizit Police Station or share any input, photo or video by phone, SMS or on Whatsapp Messenger. The information could also be shared in person with the inquiry team at Dinjan Military Station in Assam.
The Court of Inquiry is progressing expeditiously and all efforts are being made to conclude it at the earliest, the PRO said.
The killings have fuelled the demand for withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, from Nagaland, with civil societies, tribal organisations and common people staging protests.
The Nagaland assembly also passed a resolution seeking repeal of the AFSPA.
The Union Home Ministry had on December 26 set up a six-member committee headed by Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India Vivek Joshi to look at the demand for withdrawal of AFSPA from the state.
Additional Secretary in the Union Home Ministry Piyush Goyal is its Member Secretary, while Nagaland's Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Inspector General of Assam Rifles (North) and Joint Director of the Intelligence Bureau are the members. The committee has been asked to submit its report within three months.
Meanwhile, the enforcement of AFSPA, which was last extended in Nagaland on June 30, will come to an end on December 31.
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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.
