Nileshwar police have registered cases against eight people following the fire accident at Anjootambalam Veererkavu. The accused in the list as per the First Information Report (FIR) are Chandrasekharan, Bharathan, A V Bhaskaran, Thamban, Chandran, Babu, Rajesh and Sasi.
All of them are from Nileshwar village, Kasaragod and are members of the temple committee. The police have earlier held two members of the temple committee after a firecracker explosion during the temple festival left 154 people injured. A preliminary information report showed that crackers burst at a distance of 2 metres from the storehouse.
According to the FIR, the accused conducted fireworks without complying with safety norms and guidelines and did not obtain a permit and licence, leading to a fire outbreak in the house, causing serious and mild injuries to over 100 people and damaging the building. DySP Babu Peringeth will probe the case.
The police have slapped charges under sections 288, 125(a), 125(b) ,3(5) of BNS, 3(a) ,6 of the Explosive Substance Act which pertain to negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance, act endangering life or personal safety of others, acts performed rashly or negligently that endanger human life or personal safety and acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention.
It is alleged that crackers burst close to the storehouse, ignoring repeated warnings from some onlookers. Residents said that the firecrackers are usually burst at a safe distance from the storehouse in a space behind the building, however this time the crackers were burst close to the shed leading to the explosion.
