Jan 15 News Live | India to begin evacuating citizens from Iran tomorrow

A government office was vandalised and a police inspector was injured on Thursday (January 15) as protests against the SIR of electoral rolls escalated in West Bengal’s Uttar Dinajpur district, prompting the EC to issue stern instructions to district administrations in the poll-bound state.

Violence erupted at the BDO’s office in Chakulia, a day after a similar incident was reported from Murshidabad’s Farakka, underscoring growing political tensions around the voter list revision exercise ahead of the Assembly elections.

Police said the protesters, most of whom had received notices for SIR verification hearings, blocked a state highway at Kahata from early morning, disrupting traffic and triggering massive congestion.

Amid the agitation, a mob allegedly forced its way into the BDO office, vandalised furniture and electronic equipment, destroyed official records and set fire to parts of the premises.

An inspector-in-charge present at the spot was injured during the attack, while several staff members were taken to hospital, officials said.

The BDO has lodged a written complaint at Chakulia police station, following which an FIR was registered. According to the complaint, around 300 people attempted to forcibly enter the office around 9.30 am.

“Despite police intervention, the crowd broke into the office and caused extensive damage to government property,” an officer said, adding that preliminary estimates put the loss around Rs 20 lakh.

“A high alert has been issued across Islampur police district in view of the situation,” a senior police officer said, adding that additional forces had been deployed to prevent further flare-ups.

In the backdrop of the twin incidents, the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) issued directions to district magistrates-cum-District Election Officers (DEOs), and spoke to state government officials.

Officials at the office of the CEO said steps were being taken to identify those involved in the violence, while additional security arrangements were put in place in sensitive areas of the district to prevent any further escalation of the situation.

Odisha’s Sundargarh administration on Thursday (January 15) imposed prohibitory orders and suspended internet services for 24 hours in the town following a violent group clash in which at least 12 people, including some police personnel, were injured.

The incident took place in the Regent Market area this afternoon, police said, adding that the clash erupted over a minor argument between two youths.

“Both groups allegedly used sharp weapons against each other and also pelted stones. Police used mild force to disperse them and brought the area under control,” an officer said.

Following the incident, the administration imposed Section 163 of BNS in the area to prevent further escalation and keep law and order under control.

"The situation is now under control. Prohibitory order under Section 163 of BNS has been clamped in the town. We have also suspended the internet services for 24 hours from 6 pm,” Sundargarh collector Subhankar Mohapatra said.

A booth-level officer in Kolkata and a senior citizen in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district died on Thursday (January 15), allegedly under pressure related to the ongoing SIR, police said.

The BLO, identified as Ashok Das, was found hanging at his residence in the Mukundapur area in the southern part of Kolkata. In the other incident, a sexagenarian died due to a heart attack at Samserganj in Murshidabad district.

Several deaths, including suicides, have been reported in the state in recent weeks, allegedly triggered by anxiety linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls.

Das, an assistant teacher at Baharu High School in Joynagar, South 24 Parganas district, was declared brought dead when taken to a private hospital, a police officer said.

His family members alleged that he had been under “tremendous pressure” due to SIR-related work, the officer added.

In the second incident, the family of 60-year-old Putu Sheikh in Samserganj alleged that he died due to anxiety caused by SIR hearing notices.

According to the family, SIR hearing notices were issued to several members, and at least one notice allegedly bore an incorrect spelling of the deceased's name.

On Thursday, while other family members went to attend the hearing, Sheikh remained alone at home and reportedly suffered a heart attack.

Police said both matters are under investigation.

Air India’s newest Airbus A350, operating a Delhi-New York flight with over 250 passengers on board, suffered engine damage after ingesting an improperly secured baggage container while taxiing to its parking bay at Delhi airport.

The incident occurred when Flight AI101, which returned to the national capital shortly after take-off after Iran unexpectedly closed its airspace, was taxiing to its parking bay in dense fog.

No one was injured in the incident.

Engine ingestion refers to an incident in which a jet engine draws in a foreign object—such as baggage containers, tools, debris or birds—instead of clean air.

Unverified videos and pictures showed damage to the aircraft’s right-side engine.

The aircraft has been grounded for repairs, adding to Air India's widebody aircraft shortage, with one of its six A350s currently out of service.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a probe into the incident to ascertain how a foreign object got lodged inside the engine.

Strict ground handling protocols are in place at airports, including when an aircraft's engines are on after landing, and there could have been some lapses that have resulted in this rare incident. Back in December 2015, an Air India technician was sucked into an aircraft engine at the Mumbai airport.

Jet engines operate with immense suction, especially at low speeds during taxiing or take-off. Any object entering the engine can damage or bend fan blades or cause hidden structural stress to internal components. The engine often has to be shut down and inspected or replaced.

India is reportedly preparing to evacuate Indians from Iran in view of the precarious situation there, as the US has not ruled out any military action against Tehran over its crackdown on nationwide protests.

According to media reports, the first evacuation flight from Tehran to New Delhi is scheduled to depart on Friday morning. The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) has said in a statement that the Indian embassy has collected the personal details and passports of all students, and the first batch has been informed to remain ready by 8 am.

Students of Golestan University, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, and Tehran University of Medical Sciences will reportedly comprise the first batch.

The government is reportedly exploring the option of bringing back citizens using civil as well as military transport aircraft.

The Indian embassy in Tehran on Wednesday (January 14) asked all Indian nationals residing in Iran to leave by available means and avoid any travel to the country. According to estimates, a little over 10,000 Indians, including students, are currently in Iran.

The mission also urged all Indian citizens and PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin) to exercise due caution, avoid areas of protests or demonstrations and stay in contact with the embassy.

Almost all exit polls have indicated that Mahayuti partners BJP and Shiv Sena will win the Brihanmumbai Corporation (BMC) elections by a big margin.

The Thackeray cousins (Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS) have been predicted to bag the Maratha and Muslim votes, while women and youth have gone with the BJP, say the exit polls.

The Axis My India, JVC, Sakal Poll, JDS, Janmat Polls, and DV Research have predicted between 105 and 155 wards for the BJP-Shiv Sena in the 227-member BMC. The Thackeray cousins are predicted to come in second position, while the Congress may be in for another rout, say the exit polls.

Two teenage girl athletes, both trainees staying at a SAI hostel, were found dead in one of their rooms on Thursday (January 15) in an apparent suicide pact, the police said.

The deceased were identified as Sandra A (18) of Chaliyam Kozhikode district and Vyshnavi V (15) of Muthakkal in Thiruvananthapuram district.

According to police, Sandra was an athletics trainee studying in Plus Two, while Vyshnavi was a kabaddi player and a Class 10 student.

The incident came to light around 5 am when fellow hostel inmates noticed that the duo had not reported for the morning training session.

When repeated knocks on the door went unanswered, hostel authorities broke open the door and found both girls hanging from ceiling fans in the room, police said.

Police said Vyshnavi was staying in a different room but had spent Wednesday night in Sandra’s room. Both were seen by other hostel inmates before 12.30 am, police added.

An FIR was registered based on the complaint of SAI centre in-charge, police said.

Police officials said post-mortem examinations are underway and the bodies will be handed over to the relatives soon. Both had been staying at the SAI hostel for the past two years, they said.

Industry stakeholders have flagged high compliance burden, logistics and energy costs, and limited access to long-term capital as main constraints for manufacturers, according to a survey by Assocham.

Business leaders have urged the government to take measures to boost domestic manufacturing and strengthen the 'Make in India' initiative in the Budget 2026-27. The survey covered about 120 respondents over three weeks across sectors, including manufacturing, services, infrastructure, startups, IT and ITeS, among others.

It found that 55 per cent of respondents remain optimistic about the business outlook over the next 12 months, while 32 per cent maintain a neutral stance, and the remaining 13 per cent expressed a pessimistic outlook.

Citing the survey's findings, Assocham stated that while government initiatives such as infrastructure capital expenditure, GST 2.0 reforms, and Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes are seen as directionally positive, their on-ground impact remains muted.

Around 35 per cent of respondents said these measures have delivered limited benefits so far, while 39 per cent felt the impact has been only moderate, underscoring the need for improved design, wider accessibility and stronger last-mile execution.