BHUBANESWAR l friday l january 16, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION x brings in measures to prevent inappropriate editing using grok ONLY PAID SUBSCRIBERS CAN have EDIT option Elon Musk has introduced technological measures to prevent its AI platform, Grok, from creating inappropriate or obscene content Restrictions for explicit material apply to all users, including paid subscribers. However, the platform said that image creation and the ability to edit images via Grok are now only available to paid users. The Indian government warned X, asking it to comply with the IT Act, 2000. Countries like Brazil, Malaysia, and Australia have initiated inquiries. ■ Accounts seeking child sexual exploitation materials will be 600 Child sexual abuse content banned ■ Action will be taken against high-priority violative content, including child sexual abuse material and non-consensual nudity reported to to law enforcement authorities as necessary. This does not change its existing safety protocols, X said in a statement | P10 accounts deleted and 3,500 pieces of obscene content removed CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Agency moves top court alleging obstruction of probe by Bengal CM during its January 8 raids on TMC’s political consultant I-PAC SC issues notice to Didi, stays action against ED Bengal Brawl at the Bench S u c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y @ New Delhi West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee suffered a setback in the Supreme Court on Thursday when it issued notices to her and senior state officials on the petition filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with its raids on I-PAC, Trinamool Congress’s political consultant. The court asked Banerjee, along with DGP Rajeev Kumar and Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma, among others, to respond within two weeks. The bench, headed by Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and also comprising Justice Vipul Pancholi, used strong words about the clashes between Central and state agencies, saying that if the court didn’t examine the issue, it could create lawlessness in the country “We are of the . prima facie view that the present petition has raised a serious issue relating to the investigation by the ED or other Central agencies and interference by state agencies. There would be lawlessness in the country if the court doesn’t examine the issues raised by the ED,” it said. The court also stayed the FIRs registered by the state against ED officials. The ED petition alleged interference by the West Bengal government and its agencies in the raids the probe agency had launched against I-PAC and its director Pratik Jain. The SC also issued notices to the Centre along with asking the state government to preserve the CCTV footage of the premises searched in the January 8 raids. The ED had first filed a petition in the Calcutta High Court on January 9, but a large number of people gathered in the courtroom, creating com- ED’s Case Bengal govt obstructed its raids at I-PAC premises, seeks CBI probe against DGP Rajeev Kumar, other top cops Solicitor General Tushar Mehta says Mamata has a pattern of indulging in obstructive acts against Central agencies’ operations Notices also issued to Bengal DGP and other senior officials of Kolkata Police | File pic motion. It prompted the court to adjourn the matter. The Supreme Court took a strong view of the unmanageable crowd, after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said, “I have placed on record WhatsApp chats of the law wing of the party in power. This was not spontaneous, and they were instructed by the legal cell of the party to go there.” Justice Mishra then remarked, “Come everyone? As if it’s Jantar Mantar!” Through a fresh plea filed, the ED sought the suspension of top officials of West Bengal police, including Kumar, alleging that they aided Banerjee in the obstruction of investigation and evidence theft. Banerjee’s counsel Kapil Sibal, however, argued that the ED wanted to obtain access to information pertaining to the Trinamool Congress strategy for the upcoming election, which was in the I-PAC premises, as the political consultancy is the campaign partner of the party Sibal said . that Banerjee went to the I-PAC office after receiving information that certain unauthorised persons had entered Jain’s office. He added she went there as the head of the party , and not as the chief minister. P8 ASG S V Raju calls Mamata’s act of taking away material from I-PAC premises “a case of theft, robbery and dacoity” Mamata’s Defence ED plea not maintainable, as Calcutta HC should hear the matter; ED indulging in parallel proceedings Kapil Sibal says ED has a pattern of interference in the name of investigation exactly when elections are due ED case was registered in 2020, last statement recorded in 2024, but action taking place now before election CM took no devices from I-PAC premises as confirmed by the ED panchnama ED tried to access info related to TMC poll strategy SC Observations Prima facie, ED petition has raised very serious issue of interference in Central agencies’ work If the issue is not settled, it could lead to “a situation of lawlessness” If predictions hold true, BJP is set to have own mayor in Mumbai for the first time MahaYuti makes major dent into Marathi vote bank; consolidates north and south Indian and Gujarati votes BMC Exit Shiv Sena (UBT) alliance could have gone past MahaYuti if it had tied up with Congress alliance source code transfer nonnegotiable for 114 jets The transfer of source code will be non-negotiable in IAF’s upcoming contract for 114 multi-role fighter aircraft, officials confirmed. The new jets will integrate indigenous weapons and maintain seamless communication with foreign-origin aircraft | P7 Minority vote bank split among Cong, SP, two factions of NCP and Shiv Sena (UBT) BJP+ includes Shiv Sena of the Eknath Shinde faction SS(UBT) includes Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Sharad Pawar’s NCP Cong+ includes Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi and RSP Others include NCP(AP), BSP, AAP, SP, AIMIM, ABS and independents | p8 227 1,700 Total Total seats Polls candidates JVC Vote share Axis My India Vote share Sakal Poll Lok Shahi Janmat BJP+ 138 42-45% 131-151 42% 119 121 142–147 SS(UBT)+ 59+ 34–37% 58-68 32% 75 71 53–63 Cong+ 23+ 13–15% 12–16 13% 20 25 10 Others 7 6–8% 6–12 13% 14 10 — Evacuation of Indian nationals from Iran likely today J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi The government has begun drawing up contingency plans to bring back Indian nationals stranded in Iran amid mounting safety concerns as unrest continues in large parts of the country sources said. “In view , of the evolving situation in Iran, the External Affairs Ministry is making preparations to facilitate the return of Indian nationals who wish to travel back to India,” sources said. Students from Golestan University, along with a small number from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Tehran University of Medical Sciences, are expected to form the first evacuation batch. Sources said the first group of evacuees could be flown out as early as Friday subject to secu, rity clearances and the availa- Demonstration erupts in Berlin in support of the ongoing protests in Iran | PTI First batch ready Students from Golestan University, along with Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and Tehran University of Medical Sciences, are expected to form the first evacuation batch. bility of flight routes. “All students have been registered, the Indian embassy has collected their details and Prohibitory orders imposed after beef rumour sparks tension in S’garh E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Rourkela Prohibitory orders were imposed in Regent Market area of Sundargarh town on Thursday after communal tension led to intense stone pelting over rumours of beef being stored in a house. In the ensuing violence, a pickup van and a couple of poultry shops were set on fire while at least half-a-dozen four-wheelers were damaged in the town. Several persons including a policeman also suffered injuries as two groups resorted to stone pelting. Sources said after rumour of beef being stored in a house near Regent Market spread, a mob gathered in the area. On being informed, police reached the spot for investigation. However, stone pelting started all of a sudden at around 2.30 pm and continued for about two-and-half hours. Sundargarh collector Subhankar Mohapatra and SP Amritpal Kaur rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. Later, DIG (Western Range) Brijesh Kumar Rai also reached the violence-hit area. The DIG said after a rumour of storing of beef spread, Town police rushed to the spot for verification. However, some miscreants in the crowd resorted to stone pelting. One pickup van and two shops were gutted while several vehicles were partially damaged. One policeman suffered injury in the violence. Rai said 10 platoons of police force have been deployed and patrolling in Sundargarh town has been intensified. The district administration has imposed prohibitory orders under section 163 of BNSS in Regent Market to prevent further escalation. The administration has also ordered closure of shops and markets in the area as a preventive measure. Only emergency services have been allowed. “The situation is tense, but under control. The administration is keeping a close watch. Sundargarh collector and SP are monitoring the situation. Preventive measures to stop spreading of rumours on social media platforms would also be taken if required,” he added. The collector said a peace committee comprising representatives from both the communities would meet soon to restore social harmony . double whammy AI flight engine sucks in baggage container, damaged S L a l i t h a @ New Delhi In a rare and alarming incident at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) on Thursday morning, an Air India Airbus A350-900 faced a double setback— engine damage after ingesting a cargo container, just hours after being rerouted midair due to the sudden closure of Iranian airspace. The Flight AI101, bound for New York with 240 passengers on board, took off at 3:13 am but was forced to return to Delhi after Iran closed its airspace for four hours. The aircraft landed safely at 5:47 am, only to encounter another Damaged engine of the aircraft after ingesting a cargo container misfortune while taxiing toward the apron. According to DGCA sources, Engine No. 2 ingested a c a r g o c o n t a i n e r, c a u s i n g damage. All the passengers were safe, but for AI101, Thursday proved to be a day of unexpected turbulence—first in the skies over Iran, and then on the taxiways of Delhi airport. Investigations indicate that ground handling company Bird Worldwide Flight Services was moving containers near Bay 242 when one toppled onto the taxiway after a dolly wheel came off. Though the operator quickly cleared nearby equipment, the container remained there and was sucked into the engine intake. Air India described the incident as a “foreign object strike in foggy conditions” and added that the aircraft has been safely positioned at stand 244. Repairs and a detailed probe are underway, and the airline warned of potential disruptions on select long-haul A350 routes. Aviation expert Captain Mohan Ranganathan said, “The groundhandler could be at fault. There are yellow lines clearly marked beyond which the trolley or containers cannot be taken. This is because the pilot cannot view the engines from his position.” This incident follows other similar events at airports, including Mumbai, highlighting the critical impor tance of coordinated ground operations. The DGCA’s Air Safety Division (Northern Region) will lead a probe to determine causes and prevent future occurrences. passports, and the first batch has been told to remain ready by 8 am,” the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association said. The Indian embassy in Tehran has intensified efforts to contact Indian students and other nationals to assess who wishes to return. Officials said the exercise is being carried out largely through physical outreach, as internet services remain suspended in several areas and telecommunication networks are unreliable. Evacuation planning is being complicated by disruptions to air travel. Air India has cancelled three US-bound flights and warned of possible delays on some Europe-bound services after Iran shut its airspace for four hours. Iranian airspace has since been reopened. The situation has drawn political attention in India, with J&K CM Omar Abdullah talking to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. “I was assured that all steps are being taken to safeguard the interests of our students,” he said. Iran, however, has sought to downplay the crisis. Iran’s Ambassador to India Mohammad Fathali said the situation in the country is “under control”. P9 Naveen suspends 2 MLAs for ‘anti-party’ activities E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar In a surprise action, BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Thursday suspended two MLAs Sanatan Mahakud and Arvind Mohapatra from the party for alleged involvement in anti-party activities. While Mahakud represents Champua Assembly constituency in Keonjhar district, Mohapatra, a first-time MLA from the Patkura Assembly seat in Kendrapara district, is the son of veteran politician Bijay Mohapatra. Party sources pointed out that both the MLAs were not abiding by the action plan of the BJD and were busy charting an independent course perceived to be more close to the BJP . The suspension order was issued soon after the BJD president’s meeting with a section of party MLAs at Naveen Nivas in the evening. Naveen has started meeting party MLAs in batches during the last one week to assess the situation in their constituencies. However, Mahakud and Mohapatra had not been invited to any of the meetings. The action against the two MLAs has come at a time when dissidence in the party is gaining ground. While a section of disgruntled BJD leaders is meeting regularly, some are making public statements and putting the leadership in embarrassing situation. Of the two MLAs, Mahakud has a history Sanatan Mahakud Arvind Mohapatra of hobnobbing with the BJP. The Champua MLA had as recently as December come down heavily on the BJD leadership at a public meeting in Ghatagaon in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Besides, the party president had also pulled up Mahakud publicly on the Assembly premises in February last year for skipping a meeting of the BJP legislature party before the budget session. The leader of the Opposition had pointed towards his growing closeness with the BJP However, there has been . no such report of any anti-party activity by Mohapatra except complaints that he does not carry along other BJD leaders in Kendrapara district or his Assembly constituency . Sources said that the suspension of Mohapatra may have to do with his father’s recent move to align with expelled Congress leader Mohammed Moquim for formation of a new regional party in Odisha.  Continued on P5