BHUBANESWAR l tuesday l september 22, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l JEYPORE EDITION key infra sectors’ growth slows to three-month low of 4.8% in Aug The output of nine sectors slowed to 4.8% in August amid fall in coal, natural gas, crude oil, and fertiliser production, official data showed Four sectors register negative growth Fertiliser output down for 6th mth in row Production of coal, natural gas, crude oil, and fertiliser contracted by 3.8%, 4.9%, 3.6% and 12.4% respectively, compared to the same period last year. Output in the refinery products, steel, and iron ore sectors grew, albeit at slower rates of 2.6%, 3.4% and 5.5% respectively, as against 3.4%, 15.3% and 7.9% in August 2025, the government data showed ■ ■ Cement and electricity production grew by 12.5% and 11.6%, respectively, in August. Fertiliser output contracted for the sixth consecutive month in August amid the West Asia crisis The deceleration was broad-based, with six of nine sectors reporting a deterioration in performance, Rahul Agrawal of ICRA Ltd said 5-6% Predicted drop in the Index of Industrial in August 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 Sonia’s poll roll entry case 17.67 lakh names back under judiciary’s lens deleted from final SIR over Special judge raps magistrate’s ruling, says it mustn’t flirt with facts u d aya n k i s h o r e @ New Delhi E x p r e ss R e a d No cyclone threat, 11 dists brace for rains Bhubaneswar: With a depression headed towards the coast, the state government on Monday asked collectors to closely monitor the situation and make arrangements for evacuation, rescue and relief operations | P5 Zaheer appointed new Super Kings coach CHENNAI: Former India pacer Zaheer Khan will take over as new head coach of Chennai Super Kings, the Indian Premier League team announced on Monday. He will serve as head coach for the upcoming season with an option of extension. A Delhi court on Monday set aside a magistrate’s order that had declined to direct a probe into allegations that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s name was entered in the electoral roll three years before acquiring Indian citizenship in 1983, and sent back the matter for fresh consideration. Special Judge Vishal Gogne, while hearing a revision petition by advocate Vikas Tripathi, vice-president of the Central Delhi Court Bar Association at Rouse Avenue courts, held that the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) had passed a “non-speaking order” that “suffers from a manifest error in law”. Tripathi’s complaint alleges that Sonia’s name was unlawfully entered in the electoral roll of the New Delhi Parliamentary Constituency in 1980, Casual dismissal The court said rather than finding if the allegations constituted a cognisable offence, the ACJM “casually dismissed the extract of the electoral roll as being a photocopy of the photocopy of uncertified roll of 1980.” though she acquired citizenship only on April 30, 1983. The name was deleted in 1982 but re-entered in 1983, before she became a citizen, the complaint said. “An order of the court must maintain fidelity towards the law, and not flirt with facts,” the judge said. “The sanctity of the electoral roll is an article of faith for voter list in Odisha every citizen in a parliamentary democracy Gogne said any .” allegation of fraudulent inclusion of a non-citizen or use of false documents “merits a reasoned order”. The judge said the ACJM did not discuss the sequence of inclusion, deletion and re-inclusion of Sonia’s name in 1980, 1982 and 1983. He also found that the magistrate did not hear the police or call for a status report, as Section 175(3) of the BNSS requires before ordering an investigation. The magistrate also failed to weigh two options open in law: directing an FIR, or examining complainant and witnesses. The matter, posted for September 29, was sent back to ACJM court for a fresh hearing. Sudarsan Maharana @ Bhubaneswar Nearly 17.67 lakh names have been deleted from Odisha’s electoral roll following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), with the final list published by the Election Commission on Monday showing 3,16,32,754 electors, down 5.29 per cent from the pre-SIR figure of 3,33,99,591. The deletions include names of people who have died, shifted, enrolled more than once or could not be traced during the enumeration exercise. The final roll, however, has 2,45,720 more electors than the draft roll published on July 5, after claims, objections and applications for inclusion were processed. It comprises 1,61,30,319 male, 1,54,99,661 female and 2,774 third-gender electors. The elector-population ratio stands at 67.05, while the gender ratio is 961. The number of service electors in the final Final figures roll is 46,816. The draft electoral roll published on July 5 this year had  Final roll: 3,13,87,034 electors against the 3,16,32,754 3,33,99,591 in the pre-SIR list.  Pre-SIR electors: Chief electoral officer (CEO), Odis3,33,99,591 ha, RS Gopalan said during the enu Names deleted: meration exercise, a total 3,13,87,034 nearly 17.67 lakh forms were received, accounting for 93.97 per cent of electors, while forms  Draft roll (July 5): from 20,12,557 electors, around 6.03 pc, 3,13,87,034 were not received. This included  Net added after 1,99,249 absent electors, 8,08,205 shiftclaims: 2,45,720 ed electors, 8,32,544 deaths, 1,58,118 du Male: 1,61,30,319 plicate entries and 14,441 cases under other categories.  Female: 1,54,99,661 Similarly, of the total electors in the  Third gender: 2,774 draft roll, 12,98,779 remained un Elector-population mapped while 3,00,88,255 were mapped. ratio: 67.05 Notices were sent to all the 12,98,779 unmapped electors along with 45,37,613  Gender ratio: 961 other electors having logical discrepancies in their names and addresses, taking the total number of notices to 58,36,392. This apart as many as 2,55,996 claims and objections were also received and processed separately. Around 2,72,245 Form-6 addition and 16,217 Form-8 addition requests were received. Following the verification, 2,90,497 electors were added while 44,777 electors - 24,070 ineligible and 20,707 requests made through Form-7 - were deleted, resulting in a net addition of 2,45,720 electors. “The final roll published on Monday, therefore, stands at 3,16,32,754 electors,” the Continued on P7 CEO said.  IIT Bombay apologises for cheating charge on Sahil S u d h i r S u r ya w a n s h i @ Mumbai Faculty forum backs professor IN the face of student protests, IIT Bombay on Monday apologised and withdrew its earlier statements on the death of Sahil Wakode. It also removed Suryanarayana Doolla, booked for abetment of suicide and under provisions of the SC/ST Act, from the post of Dean of Administrative Affairs. The institute on Saturday claimed that Sahil, a secondyear engineering student, had been caught using ChatGPT by Doolla in an exam hours before he died by suicide. The Maharashtra government has handed the probe into the death to the IIT Bombay’s Faculty Forum on Monday issued a statement backing Doolla (pic), saying he was merely carrying out his duties under Senateapproved academic regulations. The IIT Madras Faculty Association too expressed solidarity with Doolla while condoling the death of Sahil Wakode Mumbai Crime Branch. In a statement posted on X on Monday the institute said, “We , apologise for the statements contained in our earlier communication concerning the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate demise of Sahil.” “In view of the ongoing investigation, it was inappropriate to have set out or character- ised details relating to the events preceding his demise before they had been duly established through the appropriate investigative process,” the institute said. IIT Bombay also clarified that its director, Shireesh Kedare, had not resigned. The institute has agreed to discuss and act on an 18-point charter of demands raised by student protestors, following a latenight meeting between Kedare and protesters on Sunday . The 18 demands include suspension of Doolla, who was invigilating the exam, an independent inquiry with student and external representation, greater administrative accountability, mental-health reforms, and assurances that no action will be taken against protesting students. Sahil’s is the fourth death by suicide at IIT Bombay in seven months. His father Ravindra Wakode has alleged that his son had been subjected to caste discrimination. ONGC strikes gas in Mahanadi deepwater well off Odisha coast ONGC workers flaunt the National flag after striking gas at the well E x p r e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar In a boost to India’s efforts to expand domestic hydrocarbon production, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has struck natural gas in a deepwater exploratory well in the Mahanadi offshore basin, about 43 km off the Konark coast. The gas discovery was made on September 18 in the MNDW18-1-H-D well, the maiden well of ONGC’s current deepwater campaign in the Mahanadi Basin under the government’s Samudra Manthan initiative. The well was drilled to a target depth (TD) of 1,623 metres and encountered gas in the 1,441-1,452-metre interval. ONGC said the well is currently flowing gas at encouraging rates with sustained reservoir pressure. The company, however, will undertake further appraisal and commercial evaluation before determining the size and viability of the discovery . The proximity of the discovery to the Odisha coast offers potential for early monetisa- tion, subject to further appraisal and commercial evaluation. The discovery will be explored further along with other finds in the area through shared facilities, a framework enabled by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules, 2025, the company said. The well was spudded on July 25 by Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. ONGC chairman and CEO Arun Kumar Singh, director (technology & field services) Vikram Saxena and director (exploration) OP Sinha visited the drillship Platinum Explorer and interacted with the drilling team on August 27. The discovery strengthens ONGC’s deepwater exploration programme and India’s efforts to expand its indigenous hydrocarbon resource base. The find, along with other discoveries in the area, could be a candidate for development through shared facilities enabled by the PNG Rules, 2025, officials said. The company said it will continue to push into deep and ultra-deepwater frontiers in the search for hydrocarbons and towards India’s goal of energy security The breakthrough comes . nearly two decades after ONGC began deepwater exploration in the Mahanadi Basin (MNDWN-98/3 block) in 2006. Subsequent deepwater drilling by ONGC has estimated multi-trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas reserves, along with the Utkal and Konark offshore discoveries. Article 22(1), (2) SC adds more safeguards for re-arrest s u c h i t r a k a lya n m o h a n t y @ New Delhi IN a far-reaching order, the Supreme Court on Monday said if a person is not informed of the grounds of his arrest in writing and in a language understood by the accused, it would amount to a violation of his fundamental rights, rendering the arrest illegal. “An arrested person must be provided the grounds of arrest by the probe agency at the time of arrest and it must be in written from and in language understandable to the arrested person,” said a two-judge bench of justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Atul Chandurkar. The court, further, ruled disciplinary proceedings be initiated against any police officer who arrests a person without furnishing the grounds of arrest in writing. The court made these observations while holding as illegal the arrest of Jaskaranjit Singh, Shiromani Akali Dalaffiliated Mullanpur Dakha constituency in-charge, in a case of alleged sexual assault of a minor. The court said the grounds of arrest were not furnished to Singh, adding its orders have to be followed for offences even under PMLA and UAPA cases. It also held that police must seek a magistrate’s permission to re-arrest a person released by a court for not furnishing grounds of arrest in writing. Articles 22(1) and 22(2) of the Constitution, which say no person can be arrested without being provided grounds of arrest, and that every person arrested be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, can’t be tinkered with, the court said. Rowers cry foul, officials say ‘everything is fine’ I all smiles (From left) Himanshu Dhillon, Rudrankksh Patil and Parth Rakesh Mane after wiining silver medal in the 10 meter rifle men’s team event in the ongoing 20th Asian Games 2026, in Nagoya, Japan on Monday | pti f true, this is something unheard of during any Games, let alone something as big as the Asian Games. The athletes are confused and have threatened to stay away from practice if the need arises. According to sources, some of the rowers have been shifted from their pet events while another athlete, a reserve at first, is in line to feature. This seemingly happened after the morning practice on Monday . A small recap. Initially, the rowing events were scheduled to start on Monday However, with an im. pending weather system threatening to hit the city the , start was pushed back to Wednesday. Meanwhile, the team management shunted Indraneel Das Express @ asian games Nagoya athletes from one category to other, which according to some, is not possible because the rules do not allow it. Though there is a section that says changing team composition is a norm depending on the conditions. Officials close to the development said the case is not what it looks like. There is another section that says things might change on Tuesday as combinations have not been finalized yet. A top official explained that the change was made in consultation with the foreign coach Antony John Patterson. The logic is simple. The schedule got truncated because of the presence of a typhoon. In a late development here, officials are even saying that the number of combinations may reduce by Tuesday . One of the officials said that they made the changes to increase the chances of winning medals. “Because the tournament days have been reduced, it would be impossible for the rowers to compete multiple times since rowing is an exhausting sport,” said one official. “The change in combination was based on the truncated schedule and the weather conditions,” said an official who is P13 part of the team.  alternative route Not official entry, but Angh enters Oscars race with Toronto win B H H a r s h @ Mumbai Had lost out to Marathi film Gondhal as official pick Nagaland film Angh, which was in the running for India’s official Oscar entry but lost to Gondhal, has now earned a direct qualification for the 99th Academy Awards after it won the Platform Prize at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The Platform jury, led by filmmaker Pablo Trapero, awarded the film the festival’s top prize in the section. Angh, directed by Naga filmmaker Theja Rio, had lost out to Marathi film Gondhal, directed by Santosh Davakhar, in the race to become India’s official entry for the Oscars 2027. Another film in the running was Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga. The 99th Academy Awards will be held in Los Angeles in March next year Under the new eligibility rules introduced by the Academy this year, any non-English language film can enter the International Feature Film Competition if it wins a designated award at any one of the six prominent international film festivals — the Golden Bear for Best Film at Berlin, the Busan Award for Best Film at Busan, the Palme d’Or at Cannes, the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, the Plat- form Award at Toronto and the Golden Lion at Venice. With its Platform Award at Toronto, Angh now stands eligible for a nomination in the International Feature Film category next year at the 99th Academy Awards that will be held in March 2027. Set in the early 1960s in Nagaland, Angh tells the story of a former village chief and his young son who are part of one of the last communities holding on to an ancient way of life. Their solitary and alienated existence is disrupted by the arrival of an American missionary compel, ling them to confront questions of faith, cultural identity and a changing world in their relationship.