The Kolkata stampede investigation has widened after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said police would register cases under non-bailable sections against 135 people in Bengal who allegedly shared misleading social media posts about the tragedy. The announcement came as a Special Investigation Team examines crowd-management failures and the availability of video evidence at the Durga Puja venue in north Kolkata.
The stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal on Saturday evening killed 19 people and injured 25 others. The incident has raised questions about the management of visitors, the circumstances that led to the sudden rush and an announcement reportedly made before the stampede.
Adhikari issued the warning while visiting victims of the incident. He said one of the posts under police scrutiny had allegedly originated in Bangladesh before being circulated by social media users across Bengal, including in Cooch Behar district. According to him, 135 people in the state had shared the content.
“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. He added that strict action would be taken against people who attempted to disrupt law and order.
The warning followed the arrest by the Bengal Police Special Task Force of a man from Cooch Behar district. The man was accused of spreading misinformation about the death toll in the stampede. Police action has focused on misleading information circulating online after the deaths, while the main investigation is examining what happened at the pandal and whether operational lapses contributed to the disaster.
During his visit, Adhikari acknowledged that mistakes had contributed to the loss of life. “So many lives were lost because of a few mistakes. It is extremely painful. I have no words,” he said.
The absence of CCTV footage from the location where an announcement was reportedly made has become one of the questions before the investigation. Asked about the missing footage, Adhikari said the SIT would examine the issue and declined to disclose all video 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 SIT will examine the reported announcement, the availability of video evidence and the circumstances surrounding the sudden crowd movement. The police investigation into social media posts and the broader inquiry into crowd management are proceeding alongside each other.
