Puttingal fire tragedy: Eight witnesses examined

KOLLAM: The judicial commission headed  by Justice P.S. Gopinathan on Tuesday began examining the  witnesses in connection with the Puttingal temple tragedy at the Ashramam government guest house here. “The commission  examined eight witnesses,  including a police officer who was on duty at the time of the temple tragedy on April 10, 2016.    The commission, along with lawyers of respondents, also visited the blast site. On the following days, the examination of each witness will take place,”  Mr K. Vasudeven, retired sub-judge and secretary to Justice P.S. Gopinathan inquiry commission, told DC. Nearly 100 persons,  including those associated with the temple, social workers, the injured and the local residents gave statements and petitions. The three-day sitting will conclude on Thursday.

 The commission had earlier examined the official witnesses at the commission’s headquarters at GCDA building at Marine Drive in Kochi. The judicial probe into the tragedy was announced by the former government on the fateful day by appointing retired justice N. Krishnan Nair as the commission. But he  later resigned “on personal grounds” in December. The LDF government in February 2017 appointed Justice P.S. Gopinathan as the new commission.

Even as the Crime Branch police was about to submit its investigation report on the disaster in January this year,  the Kerala High Court directed  an investigation  into the “extraneous influence” to procure sanction to conduct the competitive fireworks at the temple. There are a total of 59 accused in the cases registered, out of whom seven  persons died during the course of the investigation. The competitive fireworks held during the  temple festival had claimed  110 lives and left over 700 injured.