West Bengal chief minister hands ₹25 lakh to families of Durga Puja stampede victims
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited relatives of three of the 19 people killed in the Kolkata Durga Puja stampede and presented each family with a ₹25 lakh ex gratia payment.
Following the deadly stampede at the Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal that left 19 dead and injured 25, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari met the bereaved families of three victims. He visited Togor Bej and her son Sandip Bej in Purba Bardhaman's Madhavdighi area and the family of Piyali Pramanik, Togor's sister-in-law, in Arambagh, Hooghly district, delivering ₹25 lakh ex gratia to each household. Adhikari emphasized the government's commitment to action rather than words, criticizing the prior TMC administration for requiring court orders to secure inquiries.
He disclosed that the chief secretary had written to the Calcutta High Court chief justice requesting a sitting judge to lead an investigation, and pointed out that neither Kolkata Police nor the Kolkata Municipal Corporation were included in the probe team. The compensation gesture aims to provide immediate relief to the victims' relatives while a formal inquiry proceeds.
Why it matters
The payout shows the state government's direct response to a major public safety tragedy and signals a shift in how such incidents are addressed.
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.
- Oct 18 Families collected the remains of the 19 victims.
In this story
Related stories
10 in this thread