Crime Branch faults Puttingal temple staff for blasts

KOLLAM: The police and revenue officials and the politicians involved in the Puttingal temple tragedy will go scot-free while the temple committee members and the fireworks people will face murder charges. This is the outcome of the investigation conducted by the Crime Branch which will submit its final report to the court in the  first week of January. The Crime Branch has slapped murder charges on 37 of the total 57 accused. It did not investigate the allegation that  Congress leader and former MP Peethambara Kurup had secured permission for the fireworks after the district administration had denied it.

Puttingal temple devaswom managing committee secretary J. Krishnankutty Pillai had sought permission for the fireworks on February 23 and the ADM issued an order against it on April 8, a day before the disaster. The CB did not probe the police failure to implement the district magistrate’s order. No departmental inquiry was also ordered into the criminal negligence by the police and revenue officials. The judicial probe ordered into the tragedy that claimed 110 lives and injured over 700 has also come to a standstill with the resignation of the commission, retired Justice N. Krishnan Nair.