The Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal stampede claimed 19 lives. The police formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the incident. Cops also filed a suo motu FIR against the organisers under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for culpable homicide.
The Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal stampede claimed 19 lives. The police formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the matter. Cops registered a suo motu FIR against the puja organisers. They slapped charges under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 105 for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, Section 110 for attempt to commit culpable homicide, and Section 3(5) for criminal acts done by several persons with a common intention. The police initially detained 14 people for questioning.
They formally arrested seven of them today. The arrested individuals include puja committee secretary Raj Kumar Seoda and vice-president Shantanu Dubey. Cops also arrested Biplab Mukhopadhyay, who handled the bamboo structure, along with crowd control managers Koushik Saha and Pintu De. Private security in-charges Suman Chakraborty and Rajesh Pal are also among the arrested.
The tragedy took place around 7:40 PM on Saturday near the exit gate of the Chorbagan puja pandal at Sarada Park under Girish Park police station. Heavy rain forced a massive crowd of visitors to rush inside the pandal all at once. The situation quickly went out of control because the venue was already packed. Initial reports suggested 35 people suffered injuries, but later updates confirmed 19 deaths.
Injured admitted to hospital
Rescue teams rushed the injured victims to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital right after the incident. Kolkata Police, fire brigade, and disaster management personnel reached the spot to control the situation. Authorities stopped visitor entry at the puja pandal for security reasons. The state government launched a toll-free helpline number, 18003455678, to assist the affected families. The administration also banned the gathering of five or more people in the area.
Eyewitnesses raise multiple complaints
Several eyewitnesses claimed the pandal had very narrow entry and exit gates. They also complained about poor lighting arrangements in the area. Many people fell sick in the suffocating crowd. Locals used motorbikes to shift some victims to safety. The ongoing probe will reveal the exact reasons behind this massive tragedy.
CM visits hospital, PM expresses grief
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal visited the hospital after receiving the news. The administration assured proper medical treatment for all injured victims. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his deep grief over the loss of lives. He announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. The injured victims will get Rs 50,000 each.
Kolkata Police imposed Section 163 on the roads surrounding the Chorbagan area. These restrictions will remain in place till the 20th. The restricted zones include the stretch from Colootola Street to Eden Hospital via College Street, and Colootola Street to Eden Hospital via CR Avenue. The police also clamped Section 163 from College Street to CR Avenue via Colootola Street, and from College Street to CR Avenue via Eden Hospital.
Chorbagan puja theme was the main attraction
The Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja stepped into its 91st year this time. The organisers chose ‘Arab’ as their theme, which means staying away from noise and clamour. The pandal showcased Goddess Durga and her children in deep meditation. The main idea was to spread a message of peace and restraint. However, a dark shadow of grief took over the pandal after this horrific Saptami evening tragedy.