Kolkata: Four teams—a Special Investigation Team (SIT), the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), a Special Task Force (STF) and a forensic team—are investigating the stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata that left 19 people dead and 27 injured.
An FIR registered at Girish Park Police Station has attributed the stampede to poor crowd management by the organisers and panic triggered by an announcement warning that the pandal could collapse. Seven people, including members of the organising committee, private security personnel and a contractor, have been arrested.
The case was registered under BNS Sections 105 (culpable homicide), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) and 3(5) (common intention) based on a complaint filed by Sub-Inspector Rupak Das of Girish Park Police Station.
According to the FIR, Das received information about the stampede from an assistant sub-inspector and rushed to the spot, where he found several people injured, many of them unconscious.
“The injured persons were removed by the police and local persons and taken to hospital for treatment. The pandal was then evacuated and cordoned,” the FIR states.
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Rain, a warning announcement and panic
The FIR identifies sudden heavy rain and an announcement by the organising committee as key factors behind the stampede.
“It was learnt that between 7 to 7:30 pm, following heavy rain all of a sudden and the subsequent announcement by the organisers that the condition of the pandal has become worse and may collapse anytime, created panic among the visitors and they started jostling, resulting in a stampede,” the FIR states.
It also alleges that the organisers failed to regulate the flow of visitors at the entry and exit gates.
“The persons who were assigned to control the crowd at both the entry and exit gates by the organiser did not restrain the inflow of the crowd inside the pandal as well as did not flush out the crowd from the exit gate,” the FIR states.
The complaint further alleges that the organisers “aggravated the panic” by making announcements despite being aware of the deteriorating situation inside the pandal.
Hours after the incident, Das met organisers of pandals in the Chorbagan area to communicate guidelines “regarding the safety, security measures and smooth movement of crowd in and around the pandal”.
Victims died from crushing force
At Girish Park Police Station, personnel said they had been working continuously since the stampede and had not slept in the two nights following the incident. The tragedy is being described as one of the deadliest incidents during Durga Puja.
“Several teams, including forensic teams, special task force and CID are investigating the Chorbagan stampede. An SIT has been formed and is headed by a sitting Calcutta High Court Judge. We, the junior officers, are assisting our seniors in their duties,” an assistant sub-inspector at the station said.
The pandal has been sealed, with entry restricted to investigators and forensic personnel. Police have been deployed at its entry and exit points. Investigators have collected CCTV footage and recorded statements from eyewitnesses, local residents, volunteers and police personnel who were on duty at the venue.
Post-mortem reports have identified traumatic asphyxia caused by chest compression as the primary cause of death.
“During the stampede, as people fell on one another and were trampled, excessive pressure on the chest disrupted breathing. Internal injuries to organs have also been recorded,” an official said.
(Edited by Chingkheinganbi Mayengbam)