Coimbatore: ‘Rocket’ set off at temple fest enters room, injures girl

COIMBATORE: A 4-year-old girl was injured severely after a rocket cracker set off during a temple function hit her on the head and exploded at SM Nagar at Mettupalayam on Monday night.
The cracker entered her room through the window while she was asleep on the third floor.
The girl, identified as Vidhurshana, daughter of Ayyappan, underwent a surgery at a private hospital in the city on Tuesday morning. After the surgery, which lasted for nearly five hours, doctors said her condition was stable.

The Mettupalayam police arrested a man for bursting firecrackers and causing injuries to the girl.
A police officer said the incident occurred during a function at Muniyappan temple at SM Nagar around 11pm. “The devotees were setting off ‘rockets’ and bursting other firecrackers. One of the ‘rockets’ made its way through the open window of the girl’s room on the third floor, hit her on head and exploded. She was immediately hastened to a nearby private hospital with burns and head injuries. Doctors there provided her first-aid and referred her to another private hospital in the city.”
On Tuesday morning, the officer said, doctors performed a surgery on her head.

The girl’s father lodged a complaint with the Mettupalayam police, who registered a case against Senthilnathan, 30, of SM Nagar under Sections 286 and 337 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 5 read with 9B(b) of the Explosives Act on Tuesday and arrested him for causing injuries to the girl.
A BJP worker, Senthilnathan was produced before a judicial magistrate at Mettupalayam and lodged in the Coimbatore Central Prison under judicial custody.