KOLKATA: West Bengal minister Umesh Rai on Sunday said 19 people had died and 25 were hospitalised after a stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata, as the state government announced the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the incident.A forensic team visited the site, while police began questioning puja committee members and security personnel, including police officers and private security staff, to ascertain the circumstances that led to the tragedy.Rai, who visited Calcutta Medical College and Hospital to meet the injured, said the SIT would investigate the sequence of events and examine lapses in crowd management.“This is a very tragic accident. The chief minister had called for action against those responsible yesterday. We are forming an SIT, which will investigate the entire incident and the circumstances in which it occurred,” Rai said.
Seven arrested
Police have arrested seven people in connection with the stampede at the Chore Bagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity pandal, including the puja committee’s secretary and vice-president.Those arrested include Raj Kumar Sewda, alias Raja (48), the committee’s secretary, and vice-president Santanu Dubey (55). Biplab Mukherjee, alias Joy (48), who was involved in constructing the bamboo structure at the pandal, has also been arrested.The other accused are Koushik Saha (53), who was engaged in crowd control and checking VIP passes, and Pintu Dey (51), who was involved in crowd management. Suman Chakraborty (30) and Rajesh Pal (29), both identified as private security in-charges, are also among those arrested.Police are investigating the role of the organisers, crowd management personnel and private security staff in the incident.
Rain, overcrowding preceded stampede
Rai said the pandal had witnessed heavy footfall over the past several days. When it began raining, a large number of visitors entered the pandal for shelter, while those already inside struggled to get out.The situation worsened as people continued entering from one side even as others attempted to exit from the other, he said. The pandal’s dark interiors also posed difficulties, given its themed setup, though Rai said the stampede was not caused by darkness alone.“When it started raining, people inside could not leave the pandal, while a large number of people continued to enter from behind. The stampede occurred at that point,” he said.Rai alleged that the puja organisers and the security agency responsible for crowd management had failed in their duties. The SIT would investigate the alleged lapses, and strict action would be taken against anyone found responsible for negligence, he said.Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said preliminary information from the assistant commissioner of police present at the spot suggested that an announcement by a private security agency and the blowing of whistles may have triggered the incident.Adhikari said the puja committee members and security agencies had been detained for questioning, and assured that the investigation would be conducted transparently.“As a chief minister, I can’t give a statement before the investigation is over, but I assure that proper investigation will be done with full transparency. The puja committee members and the security agencies have been detained. All kind of support will be provided to all families. This is a very, very sad incident,” he said.Kolkata Police has registered a suo motu case at Girish Park police station under Sections 105, 110 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the organisers and others in connection with the stampede.
Minister urges political parties to keep away from blame game
Rai appealed to political parties to refrain from politicising the tragedy, urging them instead to focus on assisting the injured and the families of those who died.“Those inclined toward politics will find an opportunity to play politics anywhere; however, I believe that in such adverse circumstances, the most significant humanitarian gesture is to stand by those who are injured and the families who have lost their loved ones. It would be far better to keep politics out of this,” he said.The minister also urged Durga Puja organisers across West Bengal to strengthen crowd management arrangements by increasing the number of entry and exit gates and ensuring adequate lighting, particularly at crowded pandals with poorly lit interiors.With celebrations set to continue over the next three to four days, Rai asked organisers to take immediate steps to manage excessive crowds and prevent further accidents.“We want Durga Puja to be celebrated and for people to enjoy themselves, but it is essential that no accidents occur. The organisers of the Durga Puja celebrations must keep this in mind,” he said.
Amit Shah’s Bengal visit cancelled
Adhikari assured that the injured would receive proper medical treatment and that the government would extend all necessary assistance to the affected families. While one or two injured people were initially reported to be in critical condition, Rai later said a patient who had been in a slightly serious condition was stable.West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya also provided an update on the patient reported to be critical, saying doctors were hopeful of recovery. The patient was being shifted to a private hospital, with the medical expenses to be covered, he said.Bhattacharya further announced that Union home minister Amit Shah’s scheduled programmes in West Bengal on Sunday had been cancelled following the tragedy. Nitin Nabin’s planned visit to the state had also been called off.Adhikari announced the cancellation of all events scheduled for Sunday in view of the incident.The stampede occurred amid heavy crowds at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal. The incident prompted authorities to initiate a probe into crowd movement, security arrangements and the role of the organisers, while the injured continued to receive treatment at hospitals.