Kolkata Police has formed a six-member special investigation team to probe the deaths of 19 people in a stampede at Chorbagan during idol viewing, while the state government has intensified security arrangements for idol immersions across Kolkata, Howrah, Chandannagar and Barrackpore.
The SIT is being led by an officer of Assistant Commissioner rank from the Detective Department. Officers from the Homicide Division and the anti-rowdy branch are part of the team, according to the report. The investigation follows a suo motu case registered by police at Girish Park police station.
Six people have already been arrested in connection with the Chorbagan incident. The formation of a dedicated team brings multiple specialist units into an investigation involving crowd management, deaths in a public place and the actions of those responsible for organising or controlling the event. The report does not provide details of the sections invoked in the case or identify the arrested people.
The Calcutta High Court has also called for an inquiry commission headed by a retired judge. The commission would provide a separate institutional process alongside the police investigation. Details of its terms of reference, appointment and timeline were not provided in the report.
The developments come as authorities prepare for idol immersions on Dashami. The state government is taking additional precautions in the four cities, which are expected to see large gatherings and movement around immersion routes and riverfront or waterbody access points. The report does not specify the individual locations or operational plans for each city.
Eighteen Indian Police Service officers have been assigned to supervise the immersion arrangements in the four cities from 21 to 24 October. Kolkata will have the largest deployment, with 12 of the officers posted there. The arrangement places senior police oversight at the centre of crowd control during a period when public movement, traffic management and access to immersion sites must be coordinated simultaneously.
The police investigation and the proposed judicial inquiry will now proceed alongside the immersion duty. The next formal developments are expected to include progress in the Chorbagan case, the appearance of the arrested individuals before the appropriate legal authorities and further action on the High Court’s proposed commission.
