Puttingal temple tragedy: Panel to hear witnesses in December 19 sitting

KOLLAM: The judicial commission led by Justice P.S. Gopinathan will examine witnesses, based on the statements and petitions on the Puttingal temple tragedy, at its sitting December 19 – 21 at the Ashramam Government Guest House here. “Nearly 100 persons including those associated with the temple, social workers, the injured, and the residents have given statements and petitions,” K. Vasudevan, a retired sub-judge and secretary to the inquiry commission, told this paper. It had earlier examined official witnesses at its headquarters in Kochi and recorded statements of A. Shainamol who was the Kollam district collector at the time of the blast.

The judicial probe was announced by the former government on the fateful day of April 10 by appointing N. Krishnan Nair as the commission. The retired judge resigned “on personal grounds” in December 2016, and the present government in February 2017 named Mr Gopinathan. There are 59 defendants in the cases registered, out of which seven had died during the investigation.