Former RCB owner Mallya recalls picking Kohli, says IPL title is dream-come-true moment for him
New Delhi (PTI): Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru owner Vijay Mallya recalled picking a young Virat Kohli 18 seasons ago in the players auction and said it was remarkable to witness the maestro staying loyal to the franchise, which has finally won a long-awaited IPL trophy.
RCB defeated Punjab Kings by six runs in the IPL final in Ahmedabad on Tuesday to end their long wait in the 18th edition of the tournament.
"When I founded RCB it was my dream that the IPL trophy should come to Bengaluru. I had the privilege of picking the legendary King Kohli as a youngster and it is remarkable that he has stayed with RCB for 18 years," Mallya wrote in a post on 'X'.
RCB, which was bought by Mallya for USD 111.6 million back in 2008, picked Kohli in the inaugural IPL auction in January 2008, and the batting superstar has only played for the Bengaluru-based franchise since then.
The UK-based Mallya lost ownership of the franchise in 2016 after defaulting on bank loans. The team is now completely owned by United Spirits.
Mallya is, however, credited with playing major a role in signing the cricketing giants like AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, Jacques Kallis, and Anil Kumble among others for RCB.
"I also had the honour of picking Chris Gayle the Universe Boss and Mr 360 AB DeVillers who remain an indelible part of RCB history. Finally, the IPL trophy arrives in Bengaluru.
"Congratulations and thanks again to all who made my dream come true. RCB fans are the very best and they deserve the IPL trophy. Ee Sala Cup Bengaluru baruthe ! (This year, the cup is ours)," Mallya wrote.
The liquor baron, who is accused of defaulting on loans worth several crores from Indian banks, including the State Bank of India (SBI), congratulated the entire RCB team management for the triumph.
"RCB are IPL Champions finally after 18 years. Superb campaign right through the 2025 tournament. A well balanced team Playing Bold with outstanding coaching and support staff. Many congratulations ! Ee sala cup namde !!"
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Jharkhand: Man beaten to death over theft suspicion
Medininagar (Jharkhand) (PTI): A 22-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death by a group of people after they suspected him of trying to steal a battery from a vehicle in Jharkhand's Palamu district, police said on Sunday.
One of the accused has been detained, a police officer said.
The incident occurred in Teliyahi village in Padwa police station area late on Saturday night. The deceased has been identified as Pawan Ram, a resident of Murma village in the same police station area.
Palamu Superintendent of Police Reeshma Ramesan told PTI that upon receiving information around 12.30 am that a man accused of trying to steal the battery of a vehicle has been caught, a patrolling team reached the spot and found that the victim had been tied up and beaten up by the villagers.
Police rescued him and took him to the nearest hospital, where he was declared brought dead, she said.
"The police have detained one accused so far. It is also suspected that the victim might have gone there to meet his lover and was caught by villagers, who accused him of trying to steal the battery of a tractor. Further investigation is underway," she added.
A medical board is conducting the post-mortem examination of the deceased in the presence of a magistrate. The entire process is being videographed and photographed, the SP said.
Medininagar Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Rajesh Kumar told PTI that the detained person has been identified as Paras Nath Mehta (35), and a manhunt has been launched to nab the others.
The SDPO said it is a clear case of mob lynching and the police have lodged an FIR under Section 103(2) of the BNS and other sections.
The police have not recovered any stolen battery from him, he added.
