The Bengal government has deployed nine IPS officers with experience in Durga Puja crowd management across Kolkata, a day after a pandal stampede killed 19 people and raised fresh concerns about police deployment, crowd control and organiser preparedness.
The decision was announced on Sunday, according to an official cited by PTI, as authorities moved to strengthen arrangements at major Durga Puja venues during the continuing festive rush. The deployment follows the Chorbagan incident and allegations of negligence against puja organisers.
The officers assigned to crowd-management duties include Sumanjit Ray, inspector general of police (Border); Mehmud Akhtar, inspector general of police (Intelligence Branch); Miraj Khalid, inspector general of police (Traffic); Rupesh Kumar, deputy inspector general of the Special Task Force; Shubhankar Bhattacharya, deputy inspector general of Traffic; Tarun Haldar, deputy inspector general of the Criminal Investigation Department; Soumya Ray, superintendent of security, Eastern Branch; Priyabrata Ray, superintendent of police, Traffic; and Deepak Sarkar, superintendent of security, Criminal Investigation Department.
A senior official said the officers had handled large Durga Puja crowds in Kolkata earlier and had been brought back to help prevent a repeat of the Chorbagan incident. Their responsibilities will cover crowd movement and coordination at major pandals, where visitor volumes can rise sharply during the festival.
Kolkata Police has also issued an 11-point advisory for personnel deployed at puja venues. Under the instructions, entry points to pandals must be closed when it rains, while people already inside must be brought out safely. No additional visitors are to be allowed inside during such conditions.
The advisory also requires police to ensure adequate lighting at venues and to remain at their assigned posts during rain. Visitor movement into pandals must be regulated according to the situation, with police expected to respond to changing crowd conditions rather than allow unrestricted entry.
Vehicles carrying VIPs will not be allowed up to the pandals and must instead be parked at a designated distance, an officer said. Police have also been instructed to monitor announcements made by puja organisers and ensure that visitor routes are not changed abruptly.
The directions place organisers and the police in a closely coordinated operating structure. Every officer and constable on duty must coordinate with a team of five to six volunteers from each puja committee. The police advisory also instructs personnel to keep ropes, guardrails and small loudspeakers ready for crowd control and emergency response.
The measures are being introduced after the stampede deaths at Chorbagan, with the government’s immediate response focused on increasing experienced supervision, regulating access and maintaining clear visitor routes. Further crowd-management arrangements will be implemented through the assigned officers, local police teams and puja committee volunteers during the festival.
