Thrissur Pooram fireworks tragedy: Kerala high court registers suo motu case

Kochi: High court has initiated a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) over the major fireworks accident which occurred during preparations for the Thrissur Pooram fireworks display, on April 21.A bench comprising Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and A K Preetha on Tuesday issued notice to the respondents, including the state govt, state police chief, Cochin devaswom board, Paramekkavu devaswom and Thiruvambady devaswom, and adjourned the matter to June 16. The PIL was initiated following a directive issued by the Chief Justice of the high court on April 27 regarding the fireworks accident, which resulted in 16 deaths, multiple injuries, and significant property damage.Previously, in 2016, HC had initiated a suo motu case based on a letter written by former judge Justice V Chitambaresh following the fireworks tragedy at Puttingal Devi Temple, which claimed the lives of more than 100 people and caused extensive property damage. Later, in 2021, a division bench disposed of the petition with directives regarding the regulation of and safety measures for fireworks displays. However, the recurrence of such a tragedy, despite these directives, led to the initiation of the present petition.The PIL states that, following the Thrissur fireworks accident on April 21, the high court received several representations highlighting continued violations and inadequate enforcement of the court's directives, as well as the relevant Rules and Acts. The petition further observes that the accident raises serious concerns regarding the enforcement of the Explosives Act, related Rules, and allied statutory provisions governing explosive substances. The PIL also seeks to examine these issues and consider appropriate directives to ensure strict compliance with statutory safety requirements for conducting fireworks displays.