6 firemen suspended for Onam bash
A home guard who was in control of the traffic has also been suspended in connection with the incident
PATHANAMTHITTA: The Fire Force Chief has suspended six officials of the Adoor fire station after a high-level inquiry has confirmed the misuse of a fire engine by students for Onam celebrations at the Adoor IHRD Engineering College the other day.
A home guard who was in control of the traffic has also been suspended in connection with the incident.
DGP Jacob Thomas ordered for the suspension based on a report submitted by the divisional officer in Kottayam which included recommendations for action against the officials involved in giving out the fire engine to the students, violating the rules.
Station officer T. Gopakumar; firemen B. Yesudasan and P.T. Dileep, drivers S. Somarajan, N. Rajesh and K. Shyamkumar have been identified as suspended. The DGP will take action against the officials for the misuse, a higher official from Fire department told DC on anonymity.
The fire engine hired by the students and assisted by the fire fighters was used to pump water at the students for their dance.
The Onam revellers also climbed atop the fire engine that was taken on the guise of providing safety to a procession led by the students. A KSTRC bus was also hired along with JCB, lorries and tractors as part of their celebrations.
The KSRTC has defended renting out a bus to the students. “The students had taken 50 tickets to take the bus to their college. They had the return tickets also, which is the mandate to rent out a KSRTC bus.
There is nothing unusual in this and the bus did not enter their campus. It went till the bus stop near their college and returned. The students sung songs inside the bus. The conductor restrained those who tried to climb atop it,” Mr Antony Chacko, KSRTC MD, told DC.