The Kolkata stampede probe faces a tight three-month deadline, with retired Justice Anindita Roy Saraswati saying the time available to investigate the October 17 tragedy is inadequate even as the special investigation team (SIT) tries to meet it. The stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata killed 19 people and injured 25 others.
The six-member SIT was formed in consultation with the Calcutta High Court to determine what caused the disaster and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents. Justice Roy Saraswati is leading the panel, which is expected to submit its report within the deadline set by the West Bengal government.
“SIT members will meet soon to chalk out a roadmap for the investigation. We will visit the site to ascertain the cause of the incident,” the retired judge said, according to the report. On the three-month time limit, she said it was a short duration but that the team would make every effort to meet it.
The investigation will examine whether the pandal premises were equipped to safely accommodate the crowd and whether the design or use of entry and exit points contributed to the deaths and injuries. The SIT will reconstruct the sequence of events, including the initial surge and how it escalated into a stampede.
Investigators will examine several possible triggers, including overcrowding, bad weather, rumours, public announcements, whistles, sudden movements and panic among visitors. They will also assess whether an electrical outage or structural shortcomings played a role in the incident. The report will therefore examine both the immediate chain of events and the physical and operational conditions at the venue.
The panel is expected to scrutinise CCTV footage, mobile phone videos, forensic findings, call records, police station and control room logs, medical records and other evidence connected with the stampede. These materials could help establish how people entered and moved through the pandal, when the crowd surge began and how the response unfolded.
The SIT will also assess the preparedness and response of several agencies and personnel involved in managing the event. Its review will cover the organisers, police, private security personnel, volunteers, ambulance services, hospitals, fire services and civic authorities.
The panel includes the principal secretary of the Disaster Management and Civil Defence Department, the director general and inspector general of police of the Special Task Force, a West Bengal Police representative not below the rank of additional director general, a Home and Hill Affairs Department representative not below the rank of joint secretary, and a National Disaster Response Force representative in Kolkata.
The investigation’s findings are expected to establish the sequence and causes of the October 17 incident and recommend measures for preventing similar crowd disasters. The SIT will first meet to prepare its investigation roadmap and visit the site as part of its inquiry.
