kannur l tuesday l January 06, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION COAI flags concerns over Prasar Bharati’s direct-to-mobile Test The public broadcaster did not involve telecom operators and mobile device companies for the test, the telecom industry body said on Monday iit Kanpur Test rules out harmful effects Prasar Bharati had roped in IIT Kanpur in 2019 to verify concerns over interference of direct-to-mobile (D2M) broadcast service with telecom services and heating of mobile devices. IIT Kanpur conducted the test in collaboration with technology partners Aracion Technology and Tejas Networks. Its report refuted the concern raised by some stakeholders COAI Industry body demands fresh evaluation ■ D2M broadcasting allows smartphones to receive live TV directly from terrestrial broadcast towers without an active internet connection or a SIM card. It has significant implications for spectrum usage ■ COAI has sought a fresh D2M test by taking on board all stakeholders including telcos, whose spectrum resources are directly impacted | P10 Claims d2m could IMPACT the spectrum bands for existing and future 5G use 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 Can raise tariffs on India very quickly, warns Trump AP villagers evacuated after gas leak, fire at ONGC well Claims Modi knew he wasn’t happy over India’s Russian oil purchase E x p ress ne w s ser v ice @ Kakinada J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi A major gas leak followed by fire at an ONGC well at Andhra Pradesh’s BR Ambedkar Konaseema district on Monday forced authorities to evacuate all people from nearby villages. There were no casualties. The incident occurred during re pair operations by ONGC’s contractor Deep Industries Ltd. Officials said there was a blowout when the drilling work was underway and large volumes of gas mixed with crude oil were released. The gas spread across the site in a thick, fog-like cloud, initially mistaken for mist by workers. Soon, the leaked gas ignited, producing flames and dense smoke that engulfed surrounding areas. District Collector Mahesh Kumar Ravirala, Superintendent of Police Rahul Meena, and other senior officials rushed to the site. Around 10 fire tenders were deployed, while disaster management teams worked to contain the situation. Videos circulating on social media showed police and workers fleeing as flames rose amid paddy fields and coconut groves, with thick smoke visible across the Godavari delta. ONGC said the well is located in a remote area with no habitation within a 500-600 metre radius, adding that cooling operations have begun. Renewing his pressure tactics on India over its trade with Russia, US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could raise tariffs on New Delhi “very quickly”. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while flying from Florida to Washington DC on Sunday (local time), Trump said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is aware of his displeasure over India’s continued purchase of Russian oil. “They (India) wanted to make me happy, basically. Modi is a very good man; he is a good guy . He knew I was not happy and it , was important to make me happy. They do trade and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly It would be very bad for . them,” Trump said. Trump’s remarks came during a press briefing on the US’s future plans for Venezuela after capturing its president Nicolas Maduro in a military operation on Saturday. India on Sunday reacted cautiously to the development, urging dialogue but Biennale after row Pained by controversy that forced withdrawal of artwork, says artist Tom Vattakuzhy. Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council hails move. Garden Convention Centre reopens after 6 days | P4 Deposed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro taken to the Manhattan courthouse in New York City for his first appearance in a narco-terrorism case | X | P9 Khalid, Imam fail to get SC bail, barred from appeal for a yr UAPA into play the bench said. , 43D(5) mandates that an accused cannot be released if The Supreme Court on Mon- there are reasonable grounds day refused to grant bail to ac- to believe prima facie that the tivists Umar Khalid and Shar- charges are true. jeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi “The expression “prima facie riots case, noting that the mate- true”, which lies at the heart of rial against them atSection 43D(5), does tracted a prima facie not invite a detailed excase under the Unlawamination of evidence, ful Activities (Prevennor does it require the tion) Act. They were Court to assess the also barred from filing probability of convica fresh petition for bail tion. Equally, it does for a year. not reduce the judicial Khalid and Imam role to a mechanical Umar Khalid stand on different footacceptance of the prosing as compared to the ecution’s assertions. other five who had The statutory standard sought bail, which contemplates a threshcan’t be ignored in old inquiry of limited terms of “parity and but real content,” the culpability”, the bench verdict said. comprising justices It went on to observe Aravind Kumar and N that “Article 21 occuSharjeel Imam V Anjaria ruled. The pies a central space in other five — Gulfisha the constitutional Fatima, Meera Haider, Shifa Ur scheme. Pre trial incarceration Rehman, Mohd. Saleem Khan cannot be assumed to have the and Shadab Ahmed — were character of punishment.” It granted conditional bail. further said the Constitution did The charges against Khalid not conceive liberty as an isoand Imam suggest a central and lated or absolute entitlement, formative role in the violence, detached from the security of which brings Section 43D(5) of the society in which it operates. S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi Buzz over new role for Tharoor as he re-engages with state leadership ‘You didn’t even spare God’: SC raps former TDB member roor and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, along with Congress MP Shashi Tha- Rahul Gandhi either this week roor appears to be moving clos- or the next to discuss political er to the party’s organisational and organisational matters. mainstream in Kerala and Del“These are sensitive consulhi, even as speculation grows tations at an early stage. Everywithin the party that the high one will publicly deny it, but command may be exthe very intensity of ploring a larger role for the denials reflects the the four-time Thiruimportance of the disvananthapuram MP, cussions,” a senior according to par ty leader said, adding that sources. internal dynamics in Sources indicated Kerala are also part of that there is “explorathe backdrop. tory-level discussion” Signs of a thaw were within sections of the visible on the ground leadership on the posthis past week. Tharoor I have never sibility of offering Tha- endorsed the PM attended the Congress or the BJP roor an ambassadorWorking Committee government. equivalent assignment meeting in New Delhi Many in Delhi with cabinet on December 27 and controversies rank in the event of the participated actively in arise without UDF returning to powthe two-day KPCC leadreading my er in Kerala, though words in context ership camp held in they stressed no formal Sultan Bathery, where Shashi Tharoor, decision has been takhe engaged closely with Cong MP en. Senior leaders are state leaders. also said to be working Speaking to reportto restore internal cohesion in ers after the Wayanad camp on the state unit ahead of the as- Monday Tharoor sought to dis, sembly elections in the state. pel talk of friction with the According to those familiar leadership. “Who said I left the with the developments, AICC party line? Even when I exgeneral secretary (organisa- pressed my opinions on various tion) K C Venugopal has taken subjects, on most matters the the initiative to facilitate a one- party and I have stood on the to-one meeting between Tha- same line,” he said.  ● More on P4 S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y R A J E S H A B R A H A M @Kochi @ New Delhi Declining to intervene in a petition filed by former Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) member K P Shankar Das in the Sabarimala gold robbery case, the Supreme Court on Monday made a scathing observation, “you did not even spare God.” A two-judge bench, comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice S C Sharma, made the remarks while hearing an appeal filed by Das seeking to expunge five paragraphs from a Kerala High Court single-bench verdict. Das, who had signed the TDB’s minutes, cannot evade responsibility, the top court said. However, he was free to approach the HC to seek the removal of the disputed observations. The SC also ordered that if Das files an anticipatory bail plea, it should be considered on merit. The HC had observed that TDB members Shankar Das and Vijayakumar bore responsibility in the gold robbery case. Das contended these observations were made without P5 hearing his side.  Narendra Modi Donald Trump without explicitly naming the US or condemning its action. South Carolina Republican senator Lindsey Graham, who was also present in Air Force One press gaggle, said the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration were the “chief reason” India is now buying less Russian oil. Graham has been the driving force behind a proposed tariff bill that seeks to impose up to 500% tariffs on imports from countries that continue to buy Russian oil. Linking energy trade directly to the Ukraine war, Graham claimed the conflict can only be ended by targeting Russia’s customers. “Pressure must be put on President Vladimir Putin’s customers,” he said and added that India and China express read Sreelekha outburst plunges BJP into crisis T’Puram: Crisis struck BJP after councillor and retired cop R Sreelekha openly voiced her displeasure over being sidelined for the T’Puram mayor’s post. However, insiders said her remarks signalled a larger issue linked to the party’s internal alignments ahead of the assembly poll | P4 Vellappally’s remarks will help IUML: Salam Kozhikode: IUML state general secretary P M A Salam on Monday said SNDP Yogam chief Vellappally Natesan’s communal statements will help UDF garner double the benefits it gained in the local body polls. People have not approved of Vellappally’s remarks, he said | P4 Tranquilizer dart for maneater hits Guj forest spotter, kills him HOW IT HAPPENED Dili p S in g h K shatriya @ Ahmedabad Tragedy struck twice within 24 hours in Gujarat’s Junagadh district after a tranquilizer dart meant for a maneater lioness accidentally hit a forest tracker who was part of a team to trap the animal, killing him on Monday Earlier on Sunday, . the animal mauled a fouryear-old boy to death on the ourskirts of Nani Monpari village of Visavadar taluka. It all happened in a flash. When a cage was being set up in a field in the village on Sunday the lioness suddenly , jumped onto it taking all by surprise. In the resultant melee, a tranquilizer gun was fired with the dart hitting the left hand of tracker Ashraf Alarkhan instead of the beast. Since the dart had thrice the amount ofsedative than is safe for humans, Ashraf passed out. He was hospitalised but could not be saved. The lioness continues to be on the loose. “This is probably the first incident in history where a forest staffer died due to a misfired tranquilizer gun,” an official admitted, calling it a “dark and shocking day” for the department. 1 Ashraf Alarkhan Lioness kills boy, 4, on the outskirts of a village in Junagadh district on Sunday morning. By afternoon, a team from Sasan Gir arrives, armed with cages and tranquilizer guns. “She became aggressive and was hiding in nearby agri lands. A quick capture was critical,” a senior forest official said 2 By 4 pm, lioness spotted in a field near the village. Over 30 forest officials reach the spot to set up a cage, sedate the animal. While positioning the cage, the lioness suddenly climbs onto it. In the melee, a tranquilizer gun goes off with the dart piercing tracker Ashraf Alarkhan’s left hand 3 Ashraf collapses almost immediately as the sedative quantity was safe for the beast but not humans. Colleagues abandon operation, rush Ashraf to the Visavadar Civil Hospital and later to the Junagadh Civil Hospital, where he succumbs to the sedative overdose around 7 am on Monday MANDAR PARDIKAR removed painting out of Maduro in court play a decisive role in sustaining Moscow’s war effort. Trump echoed this positioning and said that US sanctions were “hurting Russia very badly before specifically mention,” ing India. Referring to his recent engagement with Indian officials, Graham said: “I was at the Indian Ambassador’s house about a month ago, and all he wanted to talk about was how they are buying less Russian oil.” According to Graham, the Indian envoy had urged him: “Would you tell the President to relieve the tariff ?” There were no immediate comments from Indian officials on Trump’s statement. Last month, Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra hosted several US senators at India House in Washington DC, including Graham, as New Delhi sought to press its case against punitive tariffs. According to data analytics firm Kpler, India’s crude imports from Russia fell to 1.2 mn barrels per day (bpd) in December 1.84 mn bpd in November. F a m i l y f u l fi l s w i s h 91-yr-old becomes state’s second skin bank donor U nnikrishnan S @T’Puram Donating her organs after death had been a lifelong wish of Anandavalli Ammal. Just like her husband, late Hariharan V who donated his eyes two , decades ago. So when the 91-year-old passed away on Sunday night, her family fulfilled her wish and donated her skin to the state’s lone Skin Bank at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital (MCH). A resident of Karamana in the state capital, Anandavalli became the second person to donate skin to the facility opened last September. Her TIMST). Since Anandavalli eyes were also donated, though passed away at home and could age prevented retrieval of oth- not be taken to the hospital, the er organs. Skin Bank team overcame lo“When my father gistical hurdles—the died, he could not doskin has to be harvestnate skin as there were ed within five hours of no skin banks in the death—and carried out state at the time. The the procedure at her skin harvested from residence, Venkita Nimy mother will now be vas in Shastha Nagar, grafted on patients Karamana, using adwho arrive in critical vanced equipment. condition at the hospi- Anandavalli Ammal She thus became the tal,” said her son, Dr first donor whose skin Easwer H V professor and head was harvested outside the , of neurosurgery at Sree Chitra hospital. Tirunal Institute for Medical A team led by Dr A P PremSciences and Technology (SC- lal, head of plastic surgery at the MCH, removed a portion of the skin after a four-hour procedure. The team included Dr Abha, Dr Anupama, Dr Arsha, Dr Lisha, and nursing officers Ashwathi and Sheena Babu. The harvested skin will be processed and stored sterile for up to five weeks before being grafted onto patients who have lost skin due to burns. Once ready the donated skin , will be grafted using advanced plastic surgery techniques, providing a protective cover, reducing infection risk, easing pain, and minimising fluid and ● More on P4 mineral loss.