The Kolkata stampede at a Durga Puja pandal has killed 19 people and hospitalised 25 others, prompting the West Bengal government to form a special investigation team (SIT) and Kolkata Police to register a culpable homicide case against the organisers and others.
Seven people, including the secretary and vice-president of the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity, have been arrested in connection with the incident at the north Kolkata pandal. Those arrested are Raj Kumar Sewda, also known as Raja, 48, and Santanu Dubey, 55. The other accused include Biplab Mukherjee, 48, who was involved in constructing the bamboo structure; Koushik Saha, 53, who was responsible for crowd control and checking VIP passes; Pintu Dey, 51, who was engaged in crowd management; and private security in-charges Suman Chakraborty, 30, and Rajesh Pal, 29.
Police registered a suo motu case at Girish Park police station under Sections 105, 110 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. A forensic team visited the site, while investigators began questioning puja committee members, security personnel and police officers to establish the sequence of events.
West Bengal minister Umesh Rai said the SIT would examine the circumstances of the stampede and identify those responsible for any negligence. He said the pandal had recorded heavy footfall over several days and that the situation deteriorated when rain led a large number of visitors to rush inside for shelter. People already inside reportedly struggled to leave while more visitors continued entering from the other side.
Rai said the movement of people through the pandal, the organisers’ arrangements and the private security agency’s crowd-management responsibilities would be examined. He also referred to the dark interiors, which formed part of the pandal’s themed design, but said darkness alone was not responsible for the incident.
According to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, preliminary information from the assistant commissioner of police at the site suggested that an announcement made by a private security agency and the blowing of whistles may have contributed to the incident. Adhikari said the investigation would be conducted transparently and that support would be provided to the affected families.
The state government has asked Durga Puja organisers across West Bengal to review their crowd-control arrangements as celebrations are scheduled to continue for the next three to four days. Rai urged organisers to increase the number of entry and exit gates, improve lighting and prevent overcrowding at pandals with poorly lit interiors.
Political programmes scheduled in the state were also cancelled following the tragedy. BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya said a patient reported to be critical was being shifted to a private hospital, with medical expenses to be covered. Union home minister Amit Shah’s scheduled programmes and Nitin Nabin’s planned visit were cancelled, while Adhikari announced the cancellation of all events scheduled for Sunday.
The SIT’s investigation will examine visitor movement inside the pandal, entry and exit arrangements, the role of the organisers and private security personnel, and the circumstances surrounding the announcement and whistles before the stampede.
