Kolkata: Police on Saturday night, October 17, detained 12 people, including organisers of the Chorebagan Durga Puja, in connection with their probe into the stampede in which 19 people died and 24 were injured, an officer said.
The move came after West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari promised strict action against those who failed to carry out their respective duties that allegedly led to the crowd mismanagement in the north Kolkata Durga Puja.
“We have detained 12 people in connection with our probe into the Chorebagan incident. Our officers are talking to them to find out the cause that led to today’s mishap. If any lapses are found, we will act as per the law,” the officer told PTI.
The stampede happened at the Chorebagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata following a crowd surge amid rain on Saturday evening, the day of Maha Saptami.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari earlier said, “An SIT headed by a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court will investigate the incident. The SIT will comprise members from STF, CID and other departments.”
Anti-Rowdy Section (ARS) of Kolkata Police has collected CCTV footage of that place during the mishap.
“We will check the footage and take appropriate measures against those who failed to manage the crowd. That could be a member of the puja committee, a homeguard, a temporary worker, a policeman, or a private company security guard. Nobody will be spared,” Adhikari said.
Witnesses flag crowd management issue
Kolkata Police are investigating whether lapses in crowd management, confusion over entry and exit routes and heavy rain contributed to the stampede at Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal that left 19 people dead on Saturday evening, a senior officer said.
Several eyewitnesses alleged that announcements about entry, exit and crowd movement were improper, leaving visitors confused during the rush hours.
Locals also claimed that police deployment at the pandal was inadequate, alleging that personnel were mainly stationed near the VIP entrance.
“I have not seen adequate police presence this year. This resulted in the mismanagement,” Sanghamitra Bhowmik, a resident of the Chorbagan area, said.
Locals also alleged that there was little administrative assistance in taking the injured to hospitals.
“There must be some lapses, but these should be probed. Whether lapses were on the part of the organisers or they had flouted the rules to erect the pandal will be checked,” the police officer told PTI.
The police are examining the circumstances that led to the incident, crowd control measures, arrangements at the venue and the response of the authorities during the emergency, he said.
“Eyewitness accounts and other evidence will be examined as part of the investigation,” he added.
A forensic team reached the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal area late at night and started collecting pieces of evidence from the spot, a senior police officer said.
Kolkata Police officers are also talking to the organisers of the Chorbagan Durga Puja and have sought the list of security guards and those employed to manage the crowd there, he said.
“We will also talk to the policemen who were posted there. Our officers are talking to the puja organisers. We are preparing the list of people and examining the CCTV footage to find out their respective roles during the time of the mishap,” he added.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited the hospital where the injured are undergoing treatment.
“Many pandals are dimly lit in the name of theme puja,” he said, urging the organisers to follow the advice of the authorities.
A large number of Durga puja organisers in Kolkata and other places in the state compete with each other in making their pandals more attractive by setting up theme-based creations.
According to the family members of two of the deceased, the blowing of whistles by private security guards at the pandal area led to a rush among the people there, the chief minister said
Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nanda also visited the hospital where the injured are undergoing treatment.
According to sources at Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, the injured were admitted to the emergency for treatment, while 11 patients were shifted to SSKM Hospital.
A source at the medical college said the 13 women and a child were among the deceased.
The West Bengal government has set up a toll-free helpline, 18003455678, for people seeking information about those affected by the incident.
Postmortem completed for more than half the victims
West Bengal Health Minister Saradwat Mukherjee on Sunday said the post-mortem examination of more than half of the 19 deceased in a stampede at north Kolkata’s Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal, has been completed.
Twenty-five others were injured in the stampede at the pandal in north Kolkata, following a crowd surge amid rain on Saturday evening.
Mukherjee said all the 25 injured are in stable condition.
“The post-mortem of more than half of the bodies has been completed,” Mukherjee told reporters at the Kolkata Medical College and Hospital.
Among the dead are two persons from neighbouring Bihar.
He said that arrangements are being made to send the bodies of the two deceased to their native places.
“The bodies will be sent in air-conditioned hearse vans with police escort,” Mukherjee said.
He added that out of the 19 dead, 13 were women and two boys aged five and 13.
