Kollam, April 12: While the people in Puttingal as well as the district are yet to recover from the massive tragedy that struck them on Sunday, reports regarding the presence of three cars loaded with explosives (said to be the remaining fireworks used in the ‘matsara kambam’ and shifted following the tragedy) at the Sarkara Devi Temple in Kurumandal, near Puttingal Devi Temple, have sparked a new controversy.
The cars, which were found abandoned on the Sarkara temple premises by the local people, were later cordoned off by the police. According to the police, as the vehicles are loaded with explosives, even their slight movement might be dangerous and only experts can defuse the items.
Meanwhile, RDO R Vinod, who initiated a deactivation measure, later refrained from the activity taking into consideration the seriousness of the situation. He is learnt to have written to the District Collector demanding urgent intervention.
City Police Commissioner P Prakash said that a case had been registered in connection with the incident.
He added that the whereabouts of the owners were yet to be ascertained. “The local police have no means to defuse the explosives. Though we had approached the Controller of Explosives, who is camping in Paravur, they refused to do so citing a court intervention. They have demanded an order from the Judicial Magistrate for defusing the explosives,” said P Prakash.
