The Kolkata pandal stampede that killed 19 people and injured 25 others on October 17 followed alleged failures in crowd management, inadequate security deployment and confusing announcements during a sudden downpour, according to a senior Kolkata Police officer. The incident took place at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata during Saptami celebrations.
Police said circumstantial evidence, CCTV footage and accounts from locals and eyewitnesses indicated that the crowd surged after announcements about entry, exit and movement through the venue left visitors confused. The police officer told PTI that investigators had gathered evidence pointing to “gross mismanagement” by the puja organisers.
“There was no clear plan to manage the large number of visitors, and everything was handled verbally. We have collected CCTV camera footage, recorded accounts from locals and eyewitnesses, and corroborated our findings. Security personnel were inadequate,” the officer said.
The investigation has focused on the arrangements at the pandal, the number of personnel deployed and the movement of visitors through the venue. Police said the number of police personnel and private security guards was insufficient for the crowd. Both the entrance gates and the approach road were narrow, which investigators said contributed to the accident as people tried to leave through the entrance during the rush.
The officer also said police had obtained video footage of an announcement asking visitors to leave the pandal because the structure was allegedly about to collapse. Investigators are trying to identify who made the announcement and determine what prompted it. The statement was issued amid heavy crowd movement following rain, and police are examining whether it intensified panic among visitors.
Local residents alleged that police deployment at the venue was inadequate and that personnel were concentrated mainly near the VIP entrance. The allegations are part of the wider investigation into how crowd-control responsibilities were divided between the police, private security guards and the puja organisers. Police have not indicated that the investigation has been completed.
A team of forensic experts visited the pandal on the night of October 17 and collected evidence from the site. Another forensic team was scheduled to visit on October 18, while officers from the Detective Department were also expected to examine the venue. Kolkata Police said survivors would be questioned to cross-check accounts collected from local residents and other eyewitnesses.
“We need first-hand accounts to cross-check the findings based on statements from locals and other eyewitnesses. This will help our investigation,” the police officer said.
The incident has prompted restrictions around the venue. Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Nand imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 on roads adjoining the Chorbagan pandal on the morning of October 18. The restrictions cover roads around the venue, which falls under the jurisdiction of Bowbazar Police Station, and are scheduled to remain in force until October 20.
The state government has announced compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a Group D government job for the family of each deceased victim, according to the report. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari also ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team to examine the circumstances leading to the stampede. The SIT is to be headed by a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court.
The police investigation and the SIT inquiry will examine the crowd-control plan, the deployment of security personnel, the condition and width of access routes, the sequence of announcements and the actions taken after the crowd began to surge. The next stages include further forensic examination of the pandal and questioning of survivors.
