Fire never left: Vinesh Phogat comes out of retirement, targets LA Olympics
New Delhi (PTI): Star Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Friday announced that she would be coming out of retirement to take another shot at an elusive Olympic medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Games as the "the fire never left" her and was merely buried under "exhaustion and noise".
The 31-year-old had walked away from the sport after the heartbreak of the Paris Games last year, where she was dramatically disqualified for being 100 grams over the permissible weight limit ahead of her 50kg category gold medal bout.
She had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seeking a joint silver medal, but the verdict remained unchanged, leading her to announce her retirement and join politics to be elected as an MLA from Haryana's Julana constituency.
"People kept asking if Paris was the end. For a long time, I didn't have the answer. I needed to step away from the mat, from the pressure, from the expectations, even from my own ambitions. For the first time in years, I allowed myself to breathe," Vinesh posted on her social media accounts.
"I took time to understand the weight of my journey the highs, the heartbreaks, the sacrifices, the versions of me the world never saw. And somewhere in that reflection, I found the truth, I still love this sport. I still want to compete."
She along with her husband Somvir Rathee welcomed a baby boy into their family in July.
"In that silence, I found something I'd forgotten 'the fire never left'. It was only buried under exhaustion and noise. The discipline, the routine, the fight... it's in my system. No matter how far I walked away, a part of me stayed on the mat."
Vinesh said she will begin her journey towards LA28 with renewed spirit and her son by her side.
"So here I am, stepping back toward LA28 with a heart that's unafraid and a spirit that refuses to bow. And this time, I'm not walking alone my son is joining my team, my biggest motivation, my little cheerleader on this road to the LA Olympics," she added.
Vinesh had already scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic gold-medal bout.
A three-time Olympian, she has won gold medals at both the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games.
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Man held for fake campaign against KAS officer; police cite personal hostility
Bengaluru (PTI): In a key development in a cyber defamation case involving social activist Snehamayi Krishna, police on Saturday arrested a man for allegedly circulating fake documents and a fabricated audio clip targeting senior KAS officer and former MUDA Commissioner D B Natesh.
Police said the accused, Vinod, acted out of hostility arising from certain transactions between him and the complainant.
According to a press release issued by the police department, the case was registered on February 18 at the Bengaluru City Cyber Crime Police Station based on a complaint filed by Natesh, former Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) Commissioner.
During the investigation, police found that due to hostility arising from certain transactions between Vinod and the complainant, he contacted Krishna and provided false information, allegedly with the intention of taking revenge for personal gain.
In his complaint, Natesh alleged that Krishna, a resident of Mysuru, had been targeting and harassing him by creating fake documents, morphed photographs and a fabricated audio clip, and uploading them on social media through his Facebook account with the intention of defaming him.
Police said the investigation was taken up accordingly.
It was further revealed that Krishna, without verifying the authenticity of the information received, allegedly circulated it on social media with malicious intent to defame and damage the complainant’s reputation, the release said.
In this connection, a notice was issued to N Vinod, a resident of Bogadi in Mysuru, directing him to appear before the police.
Upon inquiry, and in view of the supporting evidence found against him, he was arrested and will be produced before the competent court, police said.
A notice has also been issued to Krishna to appear for questioning regarding his role in the offence. Further investigation is in progress.
Additionally, another case has been registered against Krishna at the Vidhana Soudha Police Station for allegedly spreading false information and carrying out defamatory propaganda. The matter is under investigation.
During the investigation so far, materials shared by Krishna on Facebook have been collected.
On verifying mobile numbers, vehicle registration details and other evidence, police found that the information circulated was false.
The investigation is continuing, they added.
On Thursday, Krishna had alleged corruption against Karnataka Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh and senior KAS officer D B Natesh, a former MUDA Commissioner.
The government rejected the allegations, stating that due process had been followed and a prior sanction for investigation had already been granted.
Krishna also lodged complaints with the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department, alleging the exchange of a large amount of cash in Mysuru. He also shared a photograph of a vehicle allegedly used in the transaction.
On Saturday, Krishna apologised to the chief secretary.
“I was brought here yesterday for questioning following a complaint by Natesh that I filed a false complaint, created fake documents, fabricated an audio clip, and posted them on my Facebook page. There was also a complaint against me for making baseless allegations against Shalini Rajneesh,” Krishna told reporters.
The activist said he had received the information through WhatsApp. He added that the person who shared it has also been questioned by the police.
Krishna, however, claimed that his allegations against Natesh are correct. “The information shared with me regarding Shalini Rajneesh is false. I have committed a mistake. I request her to pardon me,” he said.
He added that the investigation will continue.
Krishna was the complainant in the MUDA land allotment case, based on which a case was registered against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi B M, her brother Mallikarjuna Swamy and others.
In this case, it was alleged that compensatory sites were allotted to Siddaramaiah’s wife in an upscale area of Mysuru, with a higher property value than the land acquired by MUDA.
MUDA had allotted plots to Parvathi under a 50:50 scheme in exchange for 3.16 acres of her land, where it developed a residential layout. Under this scheme, MUDA allots 50 per cent of developed land to landowners in exchange for undeveloped land acquired for residential layouts.
The Karnataka Lokayukta police, which registered the case against Siddaramaiah, his wife and his brother-in-law, later gave them a clean chit by filing a closure report, which was accepted by the Special Court for trial of public representatives.
