Kolkata Police arrested 334 people on Panchami for alleged violations including triple riding, riding without helmets, dangerous driving and driving under the influence, as the city prepared for larger crowds from Shashthi during Durga Puja 2026.
The arrests were reported by Kolkata Police sources and formed part of a heightened security and traffic-enforcement operation across the city. Police monitoring was being conducted from Lalbazar, with additional attention directed towards crowded roads, puja pandals and the safety of women in densely packed areas.
Of the 334 arrests, 35 people were detained for allegedly travelling three to a motorcycle, while 92 were arrested for not wearing helmets. Police also arrested 65 people for allegedly driving dangerously or recklessly and 61 for allegedly driving while intoxicated. The remaining 81 arrests were made in connection with other offences, according to the report.
The enforcement action came as crowd levels increased across Kolkata. Puja pandals had begun drawing visitors from Chaturthi, while police expected footfall to rise further from Shashthi. The city has 2,981 pujas this year, more than 400 higher than the previous count cited in the report, increasing the number of locations requiring crowd, traffic and emergency-response coordination.
Police arrangements have been planned across the city’s divisions, including deployments at smaller pandals. Each division is expected to have police arrangements at around 10 to 15 small pandals, with teams of four to eight personnel placed under the supervision of a sergeant or assistant sub-inspector, according to the report.
The wider deployment includes 20 heavy radio flying squads operating in two phases, 10 special radio flying squads and 30 police control room mobile vans. These patrol vehicles will remain in coordination with the traffic police. In the event of an incident such as a fire, police vehicles will escort fire tenders to the location, an arrangement intended to support emergency access through crowded roads.
Kolkata Police will also deploy three launches to patrol 15 ghats. The river patrols are part of the broader security plan covering the city’s roads, pandals and waterfront areas during the festival period.
Women’s safety is another stated focus of the deployment. Police have planned additional monitoring in crowded areas to prevent harassment and other offences against women during the celebrations.
The Panchami arrests highlight the operational pressures created by a festival that combines large pedestrian crowds, two-wheeler movement, restricted road space and multiple emergency-response requirements. Kolkata Police has indicated that monitoring and enforcement will continue as visitor numbers increase over the remaining Durga Puja days.
