Kochi: The High Court on Monday asked the Crime Branch to inform the court whether abetment charges can be slapped on the accused in the Puttingal fireworks tragedy. At present the office-bearers of the temple trust are accused in the case. The bench, which issued the order on the petitions seeking a CBI probe into the tragedy, will consider the petitions on February 15. The Crime Branch had submitted that the investigation team could not trace anything to prove the intervention of ‘extraconstitutional power centres’ to give clearance for the fireworks display.
Hence, no such persons are arrayed as accused. There were allegations that senior political leaders in the region had exerted pressure on the police and district administration to obtain no- objection certificate for the fireworks. Former MP Peethambara Kurup, Mr G.S. Jayalal MLA and Congress leader Sooranadu Rajasekharan had called the police officers, but when they apprised them of the technical reasons involved in the matter, they dropped their attempt, the state submitted.
