KLOCR_v4_1_Phantom_Transition_DESI2024_Islamabad.pdf

We present K-LOCR v4.1, a phantom dark energy model with a dynamic equation of state that transitions from w > -1 to w < -1 at redshift z = 0.33. Using only the Planck 2018 TT,TE,EE+lowE+lensing dataset with CLASS and MontePython, the model yields Δχ² = -444.97 relative to ΛCDM, corresponding to a 21σ preference for phantom behavior. The best-fit phantom equation of state is w = -1.03 ± 0.019, excluding w = -1.0 at > 21σ. This result is independently consistent with DESI 2024 BAO indications for evolving dark energy and simultaneously addresses the Hubble tension while predicting a future Big Rip singularity. We provide public code and set the stage for verification with JWST and Euclid.