The Kolkata Durga Puja stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin pandal in North Kolkata has killed 19 people and injured 25 others, prompting arrests, a police case, restrictions on public assembly and calls for a thorough investigation into crowd management and organiser accountability.
Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao on Sunday described the incident as a major tragedy and called for responsibility to be fixed. Speaking to ANI, Rao said the West Bengal government should conduct a proper investigation and take action against those responsible. He also expressed condolences to the families of those who died.
The stampede occurred amid heavy crowds at the Durga Puja pandal. The injured were shifted to hospitals for treatment, while authorities began examining the circumstances that led to the incident. The available account does not specify what triggered the crowd surge or identify the precise point at which crowd movement became unsafe.
Kolkata Police arrested seven people in connection with the incident. Those arrested include Raj Kumar Sewda, also known as Raja, the secretary of the puja committee; Santanu Dubey, its vice-president; and Biplab Mukherjee, also known as Joy, who was involved in constructing a bamboo structure at the venue.
The other arrested persons are Koushik Saha, who was involved in crowd management and checking VIP passes; Pintu Dey, who was engaged in crowd management; and Suman Chakraborty and Rajesh Pal, who were working as private security in-charges. Police registered a suo motu case under Sections 105, 110 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the organisers and others. Fourteen additional people were detained for questioning, according to the police.
The arrests place the management of temporary festival structures, entry controls, VIP access and private security at the centre of the investigation. Large public gatherings at pandals depend on coordinated planning among organisers, police, security personnel, medical teams and civic authorities. The police case will determine how those responsibilities were allocated and whether any alleged failures contributed to the deaths and injuries.
Authorities also imposed restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, in parts of Kolkata from October 18 to 20 to prevent possible disturbances. The order covers an area under Bowbazar Police Station bounded by College Street, CR Avenue, Collotola Street and Eden Hospital Road. It prohibits unlawful assemblies of five or more people, carrying weapons and activities likely to disturb public peace and tranquillity.
The West Bengal government has announced compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a government job for the family of each deceased person. An investigation by the Special Task Force has also been initiated to establish accountability. The police investigation and the STF inquiry are expected to establish the sequence of events and determine further action against those found responsible.
