Congress MLA Uma Thomas has issued a legal notice to the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA), the owners of the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium at Kaloor, seeking ₹2 crore as compensation after she was injured in an accident at the stadium.
The incident occurred during “Mridanganadam,” a dance event organized with the aim of setting a Guinness World Record, on December 29, 2024. The MLA fell from a temporarily constructed inauguration stage set up above the gallery of the stadium.
The programme was organized by Mridanga Vision and Oscar Event Management, which had rented the stadium for ₹9 lakh. The event involved 12,000 participants performing together. In the legal notice, it is alleged that the GCDA permitted the event without even verifying the credibility of the organizers.
According to the notice, the temporary stage constructed above the gallery had no safety arrangements. The stage was at a height of 10.5 metres, had no handrails, and there was only a 50-centimetre-wide space in front of the front-row seats. The MLA reportedly fell headfirst while walking through this narrow area. It is also alleged that no stretcher was available at the venue, and it took about 10 minutes to move her outside the stadium after the accident.
The notice states that Uma Thomas regained consciousness only after nine days, took months to walk independently, and has not yet fully recovered, with the impact of the accident still persisting.
The MLA has argued that the GCDA has a responsibility to ensure the safety of people when leasing out the stadium and that it should be used only for purposes for which adequate safety arrangements can be ensured. The notice further alleges that security lapses occurred despite the presence of nearly 50,000 people, and that the stadium was illegally used with the knowledge of the GCDA.
She contends that these lapses led not only to her accident but also caused losses to the people of the Thrikkakara Assembly constituency. Citing these reasons, Uma Thomas has demanded ₹2 crore in compensation.
