Kasaragod temple fire accident: Court revokes bail of three accused

Kasaragod: The District Sessions Court in Kasaragod has stayed the bail granted to three individuals accused in the Nileshwar temple firecracker accident. 

The accused are temple committee president P K Chandrasekharan, secretary K T Bharatan, and P Rajesh. Rajesh allegedly set off the firecrackers that led to the accident. Bail had initially been granted under specific conditions, including two sureties.

Meanwhile, a 38-year-old auto-rickshaw driver, Sandeep, from Kinavoor, Choyamkode, who suffered severe burns in the explosion, succumbed to his injuries on Saturday while receiving treatment at Baby Memorial Hospital in Kannur. Sandeep sustained burns covering over 45% of his body, including serious airway injuries, and was on ventilator support.

The explosion happened in the early hours of October 29 at the Veererkavu Anjootambalam Temple, where firecrackers valued at Rs 24,000 were stored for a Theyyam festival. The blast left at least 154 people injured, with 99 still receiving treatment across hospitals in Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, and Mangalore. Four of the injured remain on ventilator support, according to the district collector's statement.

In response to the incident, Kasaragod District Police Chief D Shilpa has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to lead the probe. The district administration has also directed the additional divisional magistrate to conduct an independent inquiry, while the Kerala State Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance and requested detailed reports from both the district collector and police chief.