Thiruvananthapuram: The police are yet to arrest one of the Paravur firework contractors, Varkala Krishnankutty. His brother Kochu Mani who was held by the police tried to pass the buck by claiming that the tragedy was caused by the drunken workers of rival contractor Surendran who earlier died of injuries in the mishap.
Initially, there were rumours that Krishnankutty had died in the blast. The family members did not file a man-missing complaint that helped police assume that he may not be dead.
“The family went absconding instead of making attempts to come to the hospital identify Krishnankutty from among the bodies. This was odd and so we have started a manhunt to find him,” a police source said.
There are unconfirmed reports that the man and his wife Anarkali have gone absconding to Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu where he had friends. An aide of the man named Siad was also held earlier.
The Anchuthengu police had also seized 50 kilograms of illegal explosives from his godown on the day of the tragedy. Some of his employees were also rounded up for the probe. If arrested, the man will be booked under the explosives Act and could be charged with culpable homicide.
