A letter, pertaining to the Crime Branch investigation into the Puttingal fireworks accident, sent by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Nalini Netto to State Police Chief Loknath Behera on January 17 has kicked up a row. More than 110 persons were killed in the accident on April 10, 2016 at Paravur.
The letter is in the form of a questionnaire comprising nine questions. The top brass of the police are reluctant to see the letter as a State government directive since Ms. Netto mentions in it that the questions are those “which have randomly come” to her mind.
The letter is based on the contention for a strong case in court. But legal circles are of the opinion that the letter by itself could prima facie weaken the case. The affected people feel that a section of the revenue authorities and politicians, apart from the temple committee office-bearers, too had a role in the tragedy. But all the questions in the letter tend to point a finger at the police alone. The letter questions the police on the ground that the District Collector had banned the fireworks through a formal order.
Police version
Yet the police failed to stop the fireworks when it began. The police version is that the ban order was based on a report from the police that the same should be banned since there was sufficient information to conclude that the fireworks would be competitive. What happened afterwards constitutes the core part of the investigations since it is those aspects that led to the tragedy. It is here that apart from police, the role of a section of the revenue authorities, politicians and temple committee members too comes into play, the affected people said.
In this connection, the then Kollam tahsildar had given a statement to the investigating officers that there was an oral sanction from a superior competent authority granting permission for the pyrotechnics.
Sources said this sanction given over a mobile phone is now with a forensic laboratory for retrieval and confirmation. Police sources connected with the investigation said Ms. Netto’s letter has triggered confusion. A top police officer said such a formal Secretary-level intervention into a criminal investigation was unprecedented.
Top brass in the police are reluctant to see the letter
as a State government directive.
