The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has approached the Supreme Court after the Calcutta High Court deferred hearings in the politically charged I-PAC case involving West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party’s strategic partner, I-PAC. The ED filed an Article 32 petition, claiming its investigation into alleged irregularities linked to a coal scam was obstructed by state authorities, including alleged removal of documents and electronic evidence during raids. The West Bengal government has filed a caveat to ensure it is heard before any orders are passed. The deferral has intensified tensions between the central agency and the state ahead of elections. (PC: PTI)

4 members of a family from Himachal Pradesh were killed in a car-bus collision in Hoshiarpur on Saturday. The crash happened near Dosarka on the Dasuya road amid dense fog. The family was travelling to Amritsar airport when their car hit a Punjab Roadways bus coming from Pathankot. All four died on the spot. One person was injured and taken to hospital. Police shifted the bodies for post-mortem. Bus passengers were safe. Police said fog likely caused poor visibility and a case is being registered. (PC: HT)

1 person was killed and 16 others were injured after a speeding Audi hit pedestrians in Jaipur late Friday night. The crash took place near Kharabas Circle in the Journalist Colony area. Police said the car first hit a divider and then rammed into roadside vendors. Several stalls were destroyed. Many people ran in panic. The injured were taken to Sawai Man Singh Hospital and other hospitals. Police suspect drunk driving. Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa said one person was detained. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma ordered proper treatment for victims. (PC: X)

MBBS students at Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College in Jammu and Kashmir are facing sudden uncertainty after the college lost recognition. Barely three months into their course, around 50 students were told the college would close. The National Medical Commission withdrew permission, citing deficiencies. Students say the move followed political protests over the admission of Muslim students. Outside the campus, BJP and right-wing groups celebrated the closure. Inside, students said politics destroyed their future. “We studied medicine, not religion,” a student said. BJP leader Sunil Sharma called the decision “historic.” The college, inaugurated by Narendra Modi in 2016, now stands shut.

Multiple district court complexes in Punjab — including Ludhiana, Ropar (Rupnagar), Ferozepur, Mansa and Moga — were evacuated on Thursday after anonymous bomb-threat emails were received on official judicial addresses, prompting panic and suspension of court proceedings. Security forces, including bomb disposal squads and police, conducted thorough searches, but no explosives were found. Punjab Police cybercrime units traced the threatening emails’ origin to Austria and Germany, with suspects masking identities using VPNs and Tor networks. Officials have sought international cooperation for further investigation amid heightened alert in court complexes. (PC: The Tribune)

Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil has slammed the Centre’s repeal of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), calling the newly enacted Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act “draconian” and harmful to rural workers’ rights. The state cabinet unanimously decided not to accept the VB-G RAM G Act and to challenge it in court, accusing it of violating the right to work and livelihood and undermining panchayat authority. Patil said the repeal strips rural labourers of guaranteed work and decentralised decision-making, prompting legal and public opposition. (PC: ANI)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced a major protest rally in Kolkata on January 9 against Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on the I-PAC office and the home of its chief, Pratik Jain, part of a money-laundering probe. Banerjee has angrily criticised the central agency, accusing it of attempting to seize Trinamool Congress internal data, hard disks and strategy documents linked to election campaigning, and labelled the action politically motivated ahead of upcoming state polls. Thousands of TMC workers are expected to join the demonstration, marking an escalation in the political standoff with the central government. (PC: ANI)

West Bengal Chief Minister **Mamata Banerjee has announced a protest rally in Kolkata on Friday in response to Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at the I-PAC office and the home of its chief, Pratik Jain, as part of a money-laundering investigation linked to a coal pilferage case. Mamata has described the raids as politically motivated ahead of upcoming elections, alleging attempts to confiscate Trinamool Congress internal documents, hard disks and data. She has vowed demonstrations across the city and across state party units, framing the issue as misuse of central agencies for political ends. (PC: The Hindu)

The family of I-PAC chief Pratik Jain has filed a police complaint in Kolkata, alleging that important documents were stolen during an Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid at their Loudon Street residence. The raid, conducted in connection with a money-laundering investigation linked to the coal pilferage case, reportedly began early morning and continued for nearly nine hours. Jain’s wife approached the Shakespeare Sarani police station, claiming personal and official papers went missing during the search. The police have confirmed receipt of the complaint and said the matter is under verification and inquiry. The ED also searched I-PAC offices, sparking political controversy.

A Bengaluru-based entrepreneur, Suraj Biswas, founder and CEO of deep-tech startup Assessli, has publicly defended Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal, drawing on his own experience as a former Zomato delivery partner in 2020–21. In a LinkedIn post, Biswas said his time delivering food helped him pay college fees, support his early team and stay financially independent, with monthly earnings of around ₹40,000, and he knew riders earning up to ₹90,000. He described gig work as offering independence, dignity and opportunity, and rejected calls to ban ultra-fast delivery models, arguing that flexibility and tech-led platforms create economic mobility. (PC: LinkedIn)