Kolkata: The city police have arrested seven people, including members of the organising committee, after a stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal killed 19 people and injured dozens during Saturday (October 17) evening’s celebrations. The arrests followed the initial detention of 12 people for questioning while investigators examined possible lapses in crowd management and security at the venue.
The chief minister also announced a special investigation team (SIT) to examine the incident. The police are also investigating reports that an announcement over the loudspeaker and whistles blown by private security personnel may have contributed to the rush. Among those arrested are Raj Kumar Sewda, secretary of the Chorbagan Durga Puja committee, and Santanu Dubey, its vice-president. The others include Biplab Mukherjee, who was involved in constructing the bamboo structure, Koushik Saha and Pintu Dey, who were responsible for crowd control, and private security in-charges Suman Chakraborty and Rajesh Pal. The police are examining these statements while reconstructing the sequence of events. The police have gathered CCTV footage for the investigation. The Chorbagan venue was closed after the incident as the police and other agencies began their work at the site.
The stampede occurred at around 7.40 pm in north Kolkata, during Saptami, the seventh day of the Durga Puja festival. The city hosts around 3,500 Durga Puja celebrations and attracts large crowds to themed pandals throughout the festival.
Heavy rain and a sudden surge in the crowd contributed to the chaos, according to reports. “According to initial reports by the officials at the spot, the incident occurred owing to an announcement on the loudspeaker by the puja organisers,” he told reporters after meeting injured people at the Kolkata Medical College and Hospital. The chief minister also said relatives of two victims had told him that whistles blown by private security guards near the pandal caused people waiting to enter the venue to push forward. The proposed team will include personnel from the Special Task Force, Criminal Investigation Department and other agencies, according to reports.
The police have registered a case and are examining CCTV footage from the venue. Investigators are expected to establish whether lapses in crowd management, the handling of visitors and the safety arrangements contributed to the deaths. The investigation is going on.
