The Kolkata stampede that killed 19 people at a Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata has prompted the West Bengal government to consider ending separate VIP queues and seek a judicial investigation into crowd-control failures. Twenty-five people were injured when a crowd surge amid heavy rain triggered the tragedy at the Chorbagan marquee on Saturday evening.
Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Sunday that Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal would write to Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge seeking permission for a sitting judge to head the Special Investigation Team (SIT). If permission is not granted, the government will seek to appoint a retired judge, Adhikari said.
The proposed SIT will include a home department official of at least joint secretary rank, representatives of the director general of police and the National Disaster Response Force, and state disaster management secretary Rajesh Sinha. Kolkata Police, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and the fire services department have been excluded from the investigation team so that possible lapses by these agencies can be examined independently.
The government is also reviewing entry arrangements at major Durga Puja pandals. Adhikari said separate VIP gates and queues could be removed, particularly at venues that attract large crowds. Popular and high-budget puja committees often provide special access to people holding VIP passes, which can sometimes be purchased at a premium and allow visitors to bypass regular queues.
A special inspection team formed after the stampede has begun examining safety arrangements at major pandals across Kolkata. The team includes senior officials from the disaster management department, Director General of Fire Services Anuj Sharma and Special Task Force Additional Director General Javed Shamim. Police station officers across the districts have also been directed to inspect pandals, prepare crowd-management guidelines and ensure that organisers comply with them.
Adhikari said the inspection teams could regulate visitor numbers wherever necessary and would be allowed to carry out their duties without interference. He also said he would monitor crowd movement from the Kolkata Police headquarters traffic control room on Sunday evening, stating that he wanted to see the situation directly rather than rely only on reports.
The government’s response follows questions from eyewitnesses and local residents about the police presence and safety arrangements at the Chorbagan pandal. Heavy rainfall, narrow access lanes and overcrowding were cited as possible contributing factors. Adhikari defended the police response, saying families of victims had told him that police personnel helped transport injured people to hospitals, including by hiring cabs through online aggregators.
The chief minister announced compensation of Rs 25 lakh for each bereaved family and Rs 5 lakh for every injured person. Of the 19 people who died, one was from Muzaffarpur in Bihar and the rest were residents of West Bengal. Magistrates and deputy superintendent of police-ranked officers have been assigned to oversee the handover of bodies and remain with families until cremations are completed.
Twenty-three injured people suffered minor injuries and were expected to be discharged, while two remained in intensive care. Their conditions were described as not life-threatening by doctors, according to the chief minister.
The state government will hold a toned-down Bijoya Sammelani with Durga Puja committees from Kolkata and its suburbs on October 26. The meeting will review this year’s arrangements and discuss measures intended to prevent similar incidents. Compensation cheques for the injured are also expected to be handed over at the event.
