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Thrikkakara MLA Uma Thomas, on December 29, sent a legal notice to the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA), seeking Rs 2 crore compensation for injuries sustained after falling from a temporary stage at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, Kaloor. The accident occurred in December 2024 during the Mridanga Naadam event, which aimed to bring together more than 12,000 Bharatanatyam dancers for a Guinness World Record attempt.
According to the notice, GCDA had granted permission for the event on October 16, 2024, charging Rs 9 lakh, without adequately assessing the credentials of the organisers – Wayanad-based Mridanga Vision and Oscar Event Management – or the safety requirements for such a high-risk public gathering.
The temporary platform, erected 10.5 metres above the gallery, was constructed using plywood and GI pipes, lacked protective railings, and only featured a metal queue stand as a boundary marker. While walking on the stage, Uma Thomas lost her balance, fell headfirst onto the concrete floor below, and sustained traumatic injuries, including brain trauma, facial fractures, rib and spinal fractures, and lung contusions. The metal barricade also toppled on her during the fall.
Emergency response at the venue was reportedly inadequate. There were no stretchers, trained personnel, or proper medical facilities on site. It took over 10 minutes to move her to an ambulance. She remained unconscious for nine days and required months of hospitalisation, physiotherapy, and Ayurvedic treatment before gradually resuming her duties in September 2025. The legal notice highlights the permanent scars, both physical and emotional, caused by the incident, affecting her capacity to serve her constituency.
The notice asserts that GCDA failed to supervise the stadium premises, allowed unsafe structures, and neglected to deploy safety measures during the event. It also criticised the brief suspension of a single official, which was later revoked, as inadequate action against those responsible.
A police case had been registered at Palarivattom station under various sections addressing negligence and public endangerment. Ernakulam District Collector NSK Umesh had ordered an inquiry into the safety lapses at the stadium, which preliminary findings indicate included insufficient barriers and hazardous arrangements for the VIP gallery.
Uma Thomas, a Congress MLA, entered politics in 2022 by winning the Thrikkakara bye-election following the death of her husband, former MLA PT Thomas. Uma stated in the notice that GCDA is obligated to compensate for the life-threatening injuries, prolonged suffering, and disruption caused to her constituency.