Police in Bengal are preparing cases against 135 social media users accused of sharing or endorsing misleading posts about the Chorbagan Durga Puja stampede in north Kolkata, as a Special Investigation Team examines the crowd-management lapses that preceded the tragedy.
Suvendu Adhikari said police had been directed to register cases under non-bailable sections against people who circulated what he described as false narratives about the incident. The stampede at a Durga Puja pandal on Saturday evening killed 19 people and injured 25 others.
Adhikari said one of the posts under scrutiny allegedly originated in Bangladesh before being circulated in Bengal, including in Cooch Behar district. He said 135 people in the state had shared the content and warned that action would be taken against those who liked or redistributed it.
“Some fake narratives were being posted from Bangladesh. I have ordered that cases under non-bailable sections must be registered against those who liked and shared such posts,” Adhikari said while visiting victims of the stampede. He added that the authorities would act against anyone attempting to disrupt law and order.
The warning came hours after the Special Task Force of Bengal Police arrested a man from Cooch Behar on allegations of spreading misinformation about the death toll. The arrest followed concerns over the circulation of conflicting or misleading claims after the stampede.
The police action is unfolding alongside an investigation into the physical circumstances of the tragedy. Questions have been raised over crowd management at the pandal and the events that led to the sudden rush of visitors. Adhikari acknowledged that lapses had contributed to the deaths, saying, “So many lives were lost because of a few mistakes. It is extremely painful. I have no words.”
The SIT is also examining a reported announcement made before the stampede and the availability of CCTV footage from the location. When asked why footage from the area was not available, Adhikari said the matter would be investigated and declined to disclose all the material received by the authorities.
“I have constituted an SIT, and it will look into the matter. I have received a lot of footage. Why should I disclose everything?” he said.
The investigation will therefore examine both the reported announcement and the available video evidence, while police continue to pursue cases linked to alleged misinformation about the incident.
