Kolkata: The investigation into the stampede at the Chorbagan (Chorebagan) Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata — which killed 19 people and injured around 25 on Saturday, October 17 — entered a new phase this week, with a judicially-led Special Investigation Team taking charge and seven accused remanded to police custody.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced that the SIT will be headed by a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court. The Chief Secretary will write to the Chief Justice seeking permission for the judge to lead the probe, with a retired judge as the alternative if that permission is not granted. The six-member team will deliberately exclude personnel from the state police, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and the Fire Services — a move designed to ensure that the role of those very agencies can be examined without conflict of interest.
The tragedy unfolded around 7:30 pm on October 17, during the Saptami celebrations, as heavy rain lashed the city and crowds gathered in the narrow lane near the venue. According to witness and official accounts, a loudspeaker announcement and whistles blown by security personnel may have caused panic in the packed lane — though the exact trigger remains to be established by the probe. Nineteen people died and roughly 25 were injured in the crush that followed.
In parallel with the probe, the criminal case is moving forward. Bankshal Court has remanded seven accused to police custody till October 28 — the police had sought 14 days. Those named by ANI include Raj Kumar Sewda alias Raja (puja committee secretary), Santanu Dubey (vice-president), Biplab Mukherjee alias Joy (linked to the bamboo structure), Koushik Saha and Pintu Dey (crowd management), along with Suman Chakraborty and Rajesh Pal (private security in-charges). Around 12 to 14 people in total — including organisers, private security staff and civic volunteers — have been detained so far. It must be stressed that the accused are presumed innocent, and the charges under investigation relate to culpable homicide.
The state government has also moved on compensation. Each deceased person’s family will receive ₹25 lakh and a Group D government job, while each injured person will receive ₹5 lakh, with the government bearing all medical expenses. The Chief Minister visited victims’ families on October 20 and 21 to hand over compensation cheques personally.
Authorities are also considering a ban on separate VIP queues at major pandals — an acknowledgment that crowd segregation, or the lack of it, is now squarely in the frame. As the SIT begins its work and the custody hearings proceed, the central question remains the one grieving families are asking: how did a celebration turn fatal, and who answers for it?
