Threat letter to Salman Khan said he will meet Moosewala's fate; cops record Salim Khan's statement
Mumbai(PTI): Mumbai Police on Monday recorded the statement of Bollywood actor Salman Khan's father Salim Khan, a day after a letter threatened that the father-son duo will meet the fate of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala.
Police, who visited Salman's house in suburban Bandra and enhanced the security around the building, could not record the actor's statement as he was not available, an official said.
According to a police source, the letter said, "Salim Khan, Salman Khan Bahot Jald Aapka Mooselwala Hoga G.B L.B (Salim Khan, Salman Khan very soon you will meet the fate of Moosewala.)
There was speculation that `G. B.' and `L. B.' may refer to gangsters Goldy Brar and Lawrence Bishnoi, though police did not make any statement on this aspect.
Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala was killed by unidentified assailants in Mansa district of Punjab last month, and as per local police, Lawrence Bishnoi gang could have been involved in the murder.
Mumbai police commissioner Sanjay Pandey said the police were taking the threat letter very seriously.
"It's too early to say if the letter is fake, and also we can't say anything about the (involvement of) Lawrence Bishnoi gang," he added.
Police recorded the statement of Salim Khan and his two bodyguards but could not record Salman's statement as he was not available, said an official.
Investigators have collected footage of more than 200 CCTV cameras in the area to identify the person who dropped the letter on a bench at Bandra Bandstand where Salim Khan, a noted screenplay writer, was sitting after a morning walk on Sunday, he said.
There was a CCTV camera 30 meters away from the bench but a tree blocked the view, the official said.
On Monday morning, five officials of the Mumbai crime branch along with local police personnel visited Salman Khan's residence at the Galaxy Apartments in Bandra area and spoke to his family members.
They spent about an hour at the actor's home, an official said.
A case under section 506-II (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at the Bandra police station.
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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.
