The Kolkata stampede that killed 19 people and injured 25 at a crowded Durga Puja pandal has led to the arrest of seven organisers, crowd managers and private security personnel, as police investigate whether failures in crowd control and safety arrangements contributed to the tragedy.
The arrests followed overnight questioning of people linked to the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja celebrations in north Kolkata, where the stampede occurred on Saturday evening amid heavy rainfall and large visitor numbers. Kolkata Police said 14 people were detained for questioning and that seven were subsequently arrested.
Those arrested include Raj Kumar Sewda, 48, secretary of the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Puja Committee, and Santanu Dubey, 55, its vice-president. Police also arrested Biplab Mukherjee, 48, who was involved in constructing a bamboo structure at the venue, and Pintu Dey, 51, who was responsible for crowd management.
Koushik Saha, 53, who handled crowd movement and checked VIP passes at the entrance, was also arrested. The remaining two accused, Suman Chakraborty, 30, and Rajesh Pal, 29, were responsible for private security arrangements at the pandal. Their arrests have placed the roles of the organising committee, crowd-management personnel and security supervisors at the centre of the investigation.
Police have registered a case on their own initiative at Girish Park police station under Sections 105, 110 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The provisions relate to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, attempted culpable homicide and acts committed with common intention.
Investigators are examining how visitors were managed inside the pandal, whether adequate safeguards were in place and what caused the sudden rush. CCTV footage from the venue has been collected for scrutiny. The state government has also announced an investigation, with specialised investigative and forensic teams expected to examine the evidence and the accident site.
The stampede occurred as large crowds gathered at the pandal and moved through its entry and exit points. The investigation will examine whether the layout, visitor movement, security deployment or crowd-regulation arrangements contributed to the deaths. The incident has also renewed official concern about safety at elaborate theme-based Durga Puja pandals, which attract large numbers of visitors during the festival.
“People’s lives come first, not themes,” West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said, according to the report, while stressing the need to draw lessons from the tragedy. Autopsies of the victims began at the Kolkata Police Morgue, while forensic examination of the site was expected to follow.
The state government has announced compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a government job for the family of each person killed. Families of those injured will receive Rs 5 lakh, and the government has said it will bear their medical expenses.
Kolkata Police has separately imposed prohibitory orders in parts of the Bowbazar police station area from October 18 to 20, citing concerns over possible disturbances. The order, issued under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, covers areas bounded by College Street, Chittaranjan Avenue, Collotola Street and Eden Hospital Road. It prohibits unlawful gatherings of five or more people, carrying dangerous weapons and activities likely to disturb public peace.
The investigation will now determine whether lapses in planning, crowd regulation or security arrangements contributed to the deaths and establish individual responsibility. Union Home Minister Amit Shah postponed his scheduled Durga Puja engagements in Kolkata following the tragedy.
