Kasaragod: Nearly a year after the Nileshwar temple firecracker accident that killed six and injured around 154 people, Kasaragod Police have still not collected the autopsy report of the deceased or the wound certificate of the injured. They have not yet traced the shop that supplied the fireworks to the temple in the small town.  

This was revealed by the Kerala State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) in a statement released on October 25.

SHRC's judicial member K Baijunath said the commission received a report from the Kasaragod District Police Chief B V Vijaya Bharath Reddy saying the investigation was still going on. However, the police are yet to collect autopsy reports of the six deceased or wound certificates of the injured, according to Reddy’s report to the SHRC.

The tragedy occurred in the early hours of October 29, 2024, during the Theyyam festival at Anjoothambalam Veererkavu Temple, prompting the LDF government to declare it a state disaster.

Of the 154 injured, 95 were admitted to hospitals in Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasaragod, and Mangaluru, including AJ Hospital (Mangaluru) and Aster MIMS (Kannur).

The six people died in 17 days. They are C Sandeep (38), auto driver of Kinavoor in Kinanoor-Karinthalam panchayat; U Ratheesh (40), Kinavoor; K Biju (37), Manjalamkadu in Kinanoor-Karinthalam; Shibinraj (19), Orkkalam near Thuruthi in Cheruvathur panchayat; Ranjith (28), Kinavoor; and P C Padmanabhan (75), retired bank manager from Nileshwar.

Most survivors discharged from hospitals received no follow-up treatment support despite the government declaring the fire accident a state disaster. 

According to Reddy's report, details of which were released by the commission, Nileshwar Police, investigating the case, have not yet confirmed whether the temple had permission for fireworks, whether the firecracker shop was licensed, or the exact quantity of fireworks used. The Nileshwar police have also not yet recorded statements from the injured and eyewitnesses.

Soon after the blast, Collector Inbasekar Kalimuthu visited the site and told reporters that firecrackers worth around ₹30,000 had been stored less than a metre from the detonation site- far below the mandated 100‑metre safety distance.

Police are still probing the involvement of other accused. Eight individuals have been booked in connection with the case, and four arrests have been made: Rajesh P, who ignited the firecrackers; K V Vijayan (62), who assisted him; Bharathan, temple committee president; and Chandrashekharan, temple committee secretary.

Investigation led by Kanhagnad DySP C K Sunil Kumar shows little progress even after a year. The SHRC has directed the police to complete the investigation immediately and submit an action taken report.

While the government provided ₹4 lakh each as solatium from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to families of the deceased and covered initial medical expenses, ongoing treatment and follow-up costs for the injured remain unaddressed. Compensation for victims and families is still absent, despite the accident being caused by the failure of law-enforcing agencies.