A day after the Kerala temple tragedy, conflicting versions of events from the police commissioner and the district collector have emerged, sparing a controversy between the district administration and the police.
At least 108 people have lost their lives and 300 injured due to the massive fire that broke out at Paravur’s Puttingal temple at Kollam in Kerala in the wee hours of Sunday
The controversy sparked off after Kollam city police commissioner on Monday said that the police was ‘misinformed’ about the event. He said that the police were of the understanding that the organizers had a verbal permission from the district authorities.
Reacting to the District Collector A Shainamol has termed the Kollam City Police Commissioner P Prakash’s claim as ‘immature’.
It was earlier reported that the Additional District Magistrate has denied permission for the competitive firework exhibition.
In a document dated March 1, the ADM had denied permission for the annual ‘competitive fireworks’ in which two temple priests attempt to outdo each other with the kind of fireworks they have in their kitty. This decision was taken based on the reports of revenue and police departments.