Sabarimala Special Commissioner asked to file another report

Kochi, Jan 24 (PTI) The Kerala High Court todaydirected the Sabarimala Special Commissioner Rajendran Nair tofile another report on the Pullumedu tragedy that claimed thelives of 102 Sabarimala pilgrims.

The direction was issued by a division benchcomprising justices Thothathil B Radhakrishnan and P SGopinath after it went through the reports of the Kerala DGPJacob Punnose, Travancore Devaswom Board and the ForestDepartment.

The Commissioner had earlier filed a report directlyto the court. The bench also directed the forest department tofile a further affidavit on the tragedy.

The forest department has been asked to file theaffidavit with specific reference to the statements containedin the report of DGP Jacob Punnose.

The case has been posted to February 11.The High Courthad observed on January 20 that there was a lack ofcoordination between various departments, causing the stampedein which the 102 pilgrims were killed.

The bench made the observation after three separatereports by Punnose, TDB Commissioner N Vasu and PrincipalChief Conservator of Forests T M Manoharan came up before it.

The reports were filed in compliance with the deadlineby the court which had on January 17 pulled up the stategovernment over neglecting its earlier warnings over safety.