Seven organisers arrested as Kolkata Durga Puja stampede kills 19, SIT launched
Seven members of the Durga Puja committee were detained after a stampede at a north Kolkata pandal that killed 19 and injured 25, prompting a state-ordered SIT.
A stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata left 19 people dead and 25 receiving medical care. Authorities arrested seven people linked to the event’s organization, among them the secretary Raj Kumar Sewda and vice-president Santanu Dubey of the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samity, and filed a culpable homicide not amounting to murder case. A special investigation team has been formed to probe crowd-management shortcomings, security arrangements and the impact of heavy rain that drove visitors inside while exits remained congested.
Police are questioning committee members, private security staff and officers to reconstruct the sequence of events. State minister Umesh Rai and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari urged transparency, pledged support for affected families, and warned against politicising the tragedy. Additional measures such as improved lighting, more entry-exit points, and stricter crowd control have been recommended for upcoming festival days.
Why it matters
The tragedy highlights critical safety gaps at mass-gathering events and triggers legal and political scrutiny.
How this story developed
- Oct 17 Rain-triggered stampede at Kolkata Durga Puja kills 17 and injures 25
- Oct 18 Death toll updated to 19 and a Special Task Force investigation was launched.
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