The Bankshall Court on Sunday remanded seven people arrested in connection with the stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal to 10 days of police custody. The police had sought a 14-day remand.
The police had requested custody until the 1st, but the judge granted it until the 28th,” he said, news agency ANI reported. Defence lawyer MD Yashim Raheman claimed that the accused were outsiders who had come to witness the Durga Puja celebrations. “We informed the court that these individuals were outsiders; they had come to witness the Durga Puja celebrations. Upon observing the heavy crowding–where many people were in distress–they stepped in to assist with rescue efforts…Regarding the police custody (PC), the court has granted it until the 28th. Everyone has been remanded to police custody until the 28th. Kumaraswamy also stressed the need for caution while organising such events. Congress leader Suman Roy Chowdhury called for an impartial investigation and demanded the arrest of those responsible. He alleged that police personnel were insufficiently deployed at the pandal, claiming that they were occupied with escorting BJP leaders. Kolkata Police arrested seven people in connection with the incident. The arrested individuals include Raj Kumar Sewda, alias Raja, the secretary of the puja committee; Santanu Dubey, its vice-president; and Biplab Mukherjee, alias Joy, who was involved in constructing a bamboo structure.
He added that the court had granted custody until October 28, whereas the police had sought custody until November 1. The tragic incident took place at a Durga Puja pandal on Saturday evening, when a massive crowd of devotees triggered a stampede that killed 19 people and left several others injured.
Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy described the incident as “very painful” and “heartbreaking”. He said the Prime Minister had responded promptly and extended assistance to the families of those injured in the incident.
The Special Task Force (STF) has also launched an investigation to determine accountability for the incident. The West Bengal government has announced compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a job for the family of each deceased victim.
