The Kerala High Court has ordered the cancellation of the Sunburn music festival scheduled to be held in the landslide-hit district of Wayanad on New Year’s Eve. The court issued the order after residents of the area filed a case citing illegal construction at 'Boche 1000 Acres' in Meppadi, Wayanad.

The court issued an interim order requiring the District Collector, police, and panchayat to enforce the ban.

The Wayanad District Collector, who also heads the District Disaster Management Authority, had previously directed that the music festival be stopped. He raised concerns about the illegal conversion of plantation land near a landslide-prone area, the ongoing construction, and soil extraction, all of which he said could disrupt law and order.

A special government pleader, an officer appointed by the state government to conduct central government litigation, told the court that the Collector had made the decision the day before due to the lack of necessary permits and the potential risk of disaster. The order was presented to the court. The local panchayat also confirmed that no permission had been granted for the event.

The court in its ruling said that the event could not proceed without proper legal approval. The court rejected claims that the District Tourism Promotion Council had authorised the event, asserting that such permission did not cover events of this scale, and legal permissions were still required.

The festival, reportedly organised by Boche Bhumiputra Private Limited, a company owned by businessman Boby Chemmanur, was scheduled to take place on a property flagged by local residents for suspected illegal construction. Two senior citizens had previously filed a complaint with the District Disaster Management Authority and the District Collector, raising concerns about the venue's safety and legal status.

Source: India Today