Court adjourns Puttingal temple blast case proceedings to Feb 28 | Thiruvananthapuram News – The Times of India

Kollam: Fourth additional district and sessions court in Kollam on Saturday adjourned further proceedings in Puttingal Devi Temple blast case to Feb 28, granting time for the prosecution to present witness statements and documentary evidence. The court also reissued a warrant against the 30th accused, Anuraj alias Anu of Adoor, who continues to remain absconding.The case pertains to the fireworks accident at Puttingal Devi Temple in Paravoor on April 9, 2016. It was one of Kerala’s worst firework disasters and claimed 110 lives and left 656 people injured. It also damaged 358 houses in the vicinity and caused financial losses estimated at Rs 2.58 crore, along with damage worth Rs 88,000 to the Kerala State Electricity Board infrastructure.

Of the 59 accused named in the case, 15 have died since the incident. During the hearing, defence counsel raised objections regarding the way witness examinations were conducted by the investigating officer and pointed out that certain records prepared during investigation were not produced before the court. The prosecution sought time to examine and organise documents and material objects not relied upon during earlier stages of the trial. The request was made in view of the investigating officer’s retirement from service and his present health condition. The court accepted the plea and granted time under Section 19(4) of the Criminal Procedure Code to compile and submit the remaining records. The case involves a vast evidentiary base, including 1,417 witnesses, 1,611 documents and 376 material objects cited by the prosecution. The court also directed that records and objects produced during investigation be compiled and submitted in a separate list for consideration. Special public prosecutor K P Jabbar and advocate Ambili Jabbar appeared for the prosecution.