A stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata claimed 19 lives and left several injured. AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal called the incident tragic. Kolkata Police have arrested seven people and imposed restrictions in the area.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday expressed grief over the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal stampede in North Kolkata that claimed 19 lives, calling the incident “extremely tragic and heart-wrenching”.
In a post on X, Kejriwal said, “The accident that occurred in the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata is extremely tragic and heart-wrenching.”
कोलकाता के चोरबागान दुर्गा पूजा पंडाल में हुआ हादसा अत्यंत दुखद और पीड़ादायक है। ईश्वर से प्रार्थना है कि वे दिवंगत आत्माओं को अपने श्रीचरणों में स्थान दें और परिजनों को इस कठिन घड़ी में संबल प्रदान करें। सभी घायल श्रद्धालुओं के जल्द से जल्द स्वस्थ होने की प्रार्थना करता हूँ। — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 18, 2026
He prayed for the departed souls and extended his condolences to the bereaved families. “I pray to God that he grants place to the departed souls at his divine feet and provides strength to the bereaved families during this difficult time. I also pray for the swift recovery of all the injured devotees,” he said.
Police Action and Arrests
The tragic incident occurred on Saturday night at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata, where a massive rush of devotees led to a stampede that claimed 19 lives and left several others injured.
According to Kolkata Police, a suo motu case has been registered 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. Fourteen people have been detained and are being questioned.
Kolkata Police said seven people had been arrested in connection with the incident. The arrested persons are Raj Kumar Sewda alias Raja (48), secretary; Santanu Dubey (55), vice president; Biplab Mukherjee alias Joy (48), involved in the construction of the bamboo structure; Koushik Saha (53), involved in crowd control and VIP pass checking; Pintu Dey (51), involved in crowd control; and Suman Chakraborty (30) and Rajesh Pal (29), both private security in-charges.
Section 163 Imposed
Meanwhile, Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, has been imposed in parts of Kolkata for three days, from October 18 to 20. According to an order issued by Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand, the restrictions apply to the area under Bowbazar Police Station, bounded by College Street, CR Avenue, Collotola Street and Eden Hospital Road.
The order prohibits unlawful assemblies of five or more persons, carrying lathis, lethal or other dangerous weapons, and any acts likely to cause a breach of peace or disturb public tranquillity in the specified area. (ANI)
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