Last Updated on October 19, 2026 12:51 am by INDIAN AWAAZ
AAfreen Hossain / Kolkata
A local court here on Sunday remanded seven people arrested in connection with the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal stampede to 10 days of police custody. The stampede occurred last evening following a surge in the crowd amid rain, claiming 19 lives and leaving 25 injured.
Those arrested include the puja committee’s secretary and vice-president, along with two employees of a private security agency. Police have registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in connection with the incident.
Earlier, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced formation of a high-level committee to review safety arrangements at major Durga Puja pandals across the state.
The state government has announced compensation of 25 lakh rupees and a job for the family of each deceased person. Centre has also announced ex-gracia of two lakh rupees to the next of kin of deceased persons, and fifty thousand rupees to those injured .
An investigation by the Special Task Force has also been initiated to establish accountability for the incident.
A judicial investigation into the Chorbagan Durga Puja stampede could be headed by a sitting Calcutta High Court judge, West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said on Sunday, as his government considered ending separate VIP queues at puja pandals and tightening crowd-control measures across Kolkata.
The announcement came a day after 19 people were killed and 25 injured when a crowd surge amid heavy rain triggered a stampede at the north Kolkata marquee on Saturday evening.
Adhikari said Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal would write to Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge seeking permission for a sitting judge to head the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
“If the Chief Justice permits, we will have a sitting judge head the SIT; else we will settle for a retired judge,” the chief minister told reporters at the state police headquarters.