Kerala High Court initiates suo motu case after temple roof collapses during choroonu ceremony, injures baby's mother

The Kerala High Court recently initiated suo motu proceedings to look into the collapse of a temple structure's roof during the choroonu ceremony of a 5-month-old baby, injuring the mother of the baby and two others. .A division bench of Justices Anil K Narendran and PG Ajithkumar pulled up the Travancore Devaswom Board for its failure to properly maintain and rectify any issues plaguing the structural integrity of the temples under its management.The Court initiated suo motu proceedings on the basis of a report in the Malayalam daily, Mathrubhumi about the roof of the anakkottil of the Valiyakalavoor Temple, Alappuzha collapsing and injuring three."The screenshot of the Anakkottil in Valiyakalavoor Temple, reproduced hereinbefore at paragraph 4, would make it explicitly clear that structure was remaining without proper repair, posing serious threat to the safety of the devotees. The 2nd respondent Board and its officials failed in their statutory duty in providing proper facilities to the devotees in Valiyakalavoor Temple for performing the traditional ceremonies. As per the news report, the concrete on the top of the Anakkottil fell down during the ‘choroonu’ of a five months old baby. It fell on the head of the baby’s mother, who sustained injury, and was rushed to the hospital", the Court said in its order..During the hearing of the case, Standing Counsel for Travancore Devaswom Board informed the Court that the roof of the anakkottil has already been removed and that a proposal for its repair and maintenance are pending sanction.The Court said that the provisions under the Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act make it explicitly clear that the Travancore Devaswom Board, along with the Temple Advisory Committee of Valiyakalavoor Temple, are duty bound to establish and maintain proper facilities in the temple for the devotees.It directed the concerned Chief Engineer to ascertain whether any other temple structures under the management of the Travancore Devaswom Board have any similar issues and further directed that devotees be kept away from any such areas."In case any such structure posing threat to the safety of the devotees exists in any temple under the management of the Board, the concerned officers in the Maramath wing and also the concerned Administrative Officer/Sub Group Officer shall take necessary steps to ensure that the devotees are not permitted entry into that structure," the order stated..The matter will be taken up next on July 20..[Read Order]